Lodi Firefighter With Kidney Disease Seeks Living Donor

LODI, NJ — Anthony Maiolo, a volunteer firefighter in Lodi, is not the type of person to ask or look for help, and is usually the one looking to help others. Diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and in need of a kidney transplant, Maiolo said he is now asking for a living donor to make the sacrifice, so he can be around a little longer for his kids, his family and his friends.

"It's very scary," Maiolo told Patch. "My son just joined the fire department, and my sister-in-law just had a baby boy, and I want to be there for them."

A Lodi native and father of 20-year-old twins, Maiolo, has volunteered with the Lodi Fire Department for 24 years. He processes paperwork, drives the crew rigs, and occasionally still helps with burning buildings, despite sometimes feeling worn out after dialysis treatment in the mornings.

"I never thought at 48 years old I'd be going through this," he said on Facebook.

Maiolo also had his leg amputated when his foot became badly infected years ago from diabetes, a condition which led to his more recent health complications.

"Diabetes is an animal, like cancer, that attacks everything, and a slew of things can go wrong with your body, including your kidney and your appendages," he told Patch.

Maiolo's kidney, the organ which filters the bloodstream, is no longer working properly, he said, and he now has to undergo dialysis four hours a day, three days a week, to clean out his blood.

"If you compare the kidney to a pipe, it's like going from a six-inch pipe to a three-inch pipe, so there is a fluid overload," he said.

He also needs a living kidney donor with O-positive blood, same as his, and a history of diabetes and kidney disease disqualifies his family from donating.

If this is something you would be interested in, fill out the online referral form with Hackensack University Medical Center, or with St. Barnabas Hospital, and indicate donor for Anthony Maiolo.

"By deciding to donate a kidney, you could literally save Anthony’s life," said Donna Tissot, who advocates for Maiolo and others in need of kidney donors. "He has dedicated his life to helping others and is still active in giving back to his community. It’s important to know you can live with one kidney so please consider sharing your spare and giving Anthony a second chance at life."