You could be the miracle a Tucson family is looking for. Isaiah Hernandez is on a tough journey. He's in desperate need of a kidney transplant.
"I like to play video games and I like to sometimes go out and ride my bike and I also like to punch my punching bag," said Isaiah. He is one tough nine-year-old. Isaiah has been in and out of the hospital all his life.
"He's had kidney failure since he was born. In and out like I said. Blood transfusions, lots of medications, lots of shots,' said Terry, Isaiah's mother.
His mother says he had a kidney transplant back in 2012 thanks to a family friend. "Which helped him for a long time until just recently. Until a year ago when he rejected," said Hernandez.
Terrible news for the entire family. Now, Isaiah is on kidney dialysis.
"It feels weird," said Isaiah. "He has to do the machine every night. It runs ten hours at night every day. He has to be on it until he gets a transplant," said Hernandez.
Waiting for a kidney transplant to feel like a normal kid again. "So it's hard. We have to plan everything around that machine. Around that time. Now you're stuck in your bed till ten hours later. He's like can I be out there, you can't," said Hernandez.
Isaiah can hardly go out because of big concerns brought on by the pandemic. "He's high risk. He only leaves this house when he has a doctor's appointment and that's pretty much it," Hernandez said. He goes to the doctor every couple of weeks. Isaiah's mother says the reality of hospital visits and dialysis is frustrating.
"Sometimes it feels helpless like I cant change that for him. I wish I could."
A mother's wish. The Hernandez family hopes Isaiah finds a donor as soon as possible. "I have to tell him we have to. We have to keep going. Thats the only way we are going to get through anything. Keeping going forward and pushing."
Staying strong. Just like Isaiah's favorite Superhero, Spiderman. "Because he shoots his web and he sticks to buildings and he has spider sense," said Isaiah.
If you would like to be considered as a donor for Isaiah, you can contact the Living Donor Coordinator at 602-406-6199. Isaiah's blood type is O positive.
