2-year-old in need of kidney donor: ‘He needs a kidney to have a healthy life’

APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY/Gray News) - A Wisconsin family says they are looking for a miracle in the form of a kidney donor for their 2-year-old son.

WBAY reports Arlo Lesatz spends eight hours a night hooked up to machines that help to keep him alive.

Arlo’s father Max Lesatz said his son is a happy guy who loves running around, but he is in end-stage renal failure.

According to the boy’s family, Arlo was born with chronic kidney disease. He has had 12 surgeries, multiple hospital stays, and has been receiving in-home dialysis for more than six months.

“Arlo needs a kidney. He needs a kidney to have a healthy life. He can’t be on dialysis forever,” Liz Lesatz, Ario’s mother said. “Because he’s so young we’re hoping to do a live kidney donation, meaning to have a living donor give their kidney.”

Unfortunately, Arlo’s parents said neither of them can donate.

The family said the team at Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert hospitals have joined them in looking for a person willing to help with the kidney donation.

“It would be great to be able to set Arlo onto that next path forward,” Max Lesatz said. “Someone being able to provide that gift for him would be amazing.”

Arlo’s ideal kidney donor reportedly needs to be a healthy adult with either type A or type O blood.

The family said they are hoping to find a donor sooner than later.

“This is an illness for Arlo that is not going to go away, and there will still be struggles that come with it even when he gets a kidney,” Liz Lesatz said. “It would give us peace of mind that he can have a longer, happier life and get to be a normal kid.”

More information regarding being a possible kidney donor is available here.

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