Young Texas Police Officer Battles Stage Five kidney Failure, Seeks Living Donor for Transplant
USA: Crowley police officer Juan Shaw, a 31-year-old husband and father of a seven-year-old, has been diagnosed with stage five kidney failure after a rash this summer led to urgent medical evaluation. The North Texas officer, who has served the Crowley Police Department for three and a half years, went from routine patrols to confronting a life-altering diagnosis that demands immediate, sustained treatment.
Shaw, who grew up playing football through high school and college and described himself as conscientious about his health, now spends long nights connected to dialysis. He undergoes roughly ten hours of dialysis nightly and has had to relearn how to live day to day, adapting to a schedule that strains family life and professional duties. His wife, Whitney, remains determined and hopeful that their plans to expand their family and keep building a life together can still be realized.
Medical teams at UT Southwestern Medical Center have told the family that a kidney transplant is the best path forward, and Officer Shaw is actively seeking a living donor. None of his immediate relatives or friends have been compatible, so his appeal extends to strangers who might match and be willing to give a kidney. Shaw’s request emphasizes the urgent need for an altruistic, living donor who would enable him to resume serving his community and to be present for his young son.
The case is set against a broader national shortage: more than 100,000 people in the United States are awaiting kidney transplants. Those interested in checking whether they are a potential match for Officer Shaw or other patients are being directed to the donor registration process through UT Southwestern Medical Center.
