Bedford Corners Boy Needs Donor Kidney

Carlos Hart Newman has the chance to feel better than he has ever felt in his life, but he needs a kidney donor in order for that to happen.

After surviving a harrowing emergency trip to the Westchester Medical Center last Monday, Carlos, a Bedford Corners resident and 5th grader at West Patent Elementary School, was found to be in end-stage renal failure. After rounds of tests and scans, doctors discovered his kidney function was at .05 percent—a condition he has had since birth.

“We asked the doctors how he had made it to age 11 with those kidneys, and the truth is they don’t know,” said Susan Hart, his mother. “Maybe someone should have connected the dots before now, but we are focusing on where we are and actively looking for a donor 24/7 for Carlos.”

Hart said that Carlos has had other health issues, such as sleep problems and concentration deficits, that they now know are related to his kidney function. But they had no idea up until last week that their generally healthy and active son had chronic kidney failure.

The best prognosis for Carlos would result from a live donor, because the process involves simultaneous surgeries and the time between donation and implantation is minimal, said Hart. She and her husband, Greg Newman, are getting the word out to their personal network and to local news outlets. Their daughters, Blair, a 20-year-old student at New York University, and Elizabeth, a 17-year-old senior at Fox Lane, are also posting news of the search on Facebook.

After spending all of last week in the pediatric intensive care unit at WMC, Carlos was able to return home on Friday to see his dogs Bob and Marley, and have a friend come for a short visit. Though his blood has been cleaned of the deadly toxins that filled it, he still needs dialysis three times per week for  three hours at a time.

To be a potential match for Carlos, who has B+ type blood, potential donors must have blood types B and O. Adults willing to be screened as a donor should call 914-241-6954 or email:  gjngjn@aol.com or Facebook message: Gregory J. Newman or Susan E. Hart, Mount Kisco.

Carlos will also be added to a deceased donor list this week, but the wait time could be long, and his time on dialysis would be increased, which carries risks, said Hart. There is no obligation to proceed once people start the confidential process and the family’s insurance coverage would take care of a potential donor’s costs.

“He’s stabilizing and his spirits are good,” said Hart. “We’re just so happy he survived last week and are hopeful we’ll find a donor. The doctors say it’s not ‘if,’ it’s ‘when’ we’ll find one—and when we do, he’ll actually live a better life than he ever has.”



Thanks for reading. Like Patch? You can "like" us on Facebook here and follow us on Twitter  here.