De Real Taylor, 32, Stage 5 Kidney Failure Patient Seeks Kidney Donor, Inspires Others

Suffolk Man With FSGS Seeks kidney Donor After Progression To Stage 5 Failure

USA: A 32-year-old Suffolk man, De Real Taylor, has been forced into a race against time after a diagnosis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis led to rapidly worsening kidney function. Employed in video production at Christopher Newport University and working on a health-education project, he volunteered for screening by campus nurses and was referred by his primary care provider to a kidney specialist, where the condition was confirmed in 2021.

Taylor was placed on medications intended to control disease progression for several years, but this past summer his labs deteriorated sharply and clinicians determined he has progressed to stage 5 kidney failure. Physicians warned that a kidney transplant would eventually be necessary. To bridge the gap and keep his life and work intact, he opted for a flexible home dialysis regimen that allows him to continue working while awaiting transplantation.

He completed in-home dialysis training last week, received his supplies today, and will begin treatments next week. The adjustment has been steep for him and his wife, with emotional highs and lows as they learn the technology and daily routines required to manage end-stage kidney disease outside the hospital. Family support has been central as he navigates the transition from medication management to renal replacement therapy.

Taylor is actively seeking a kidney donor and has been sharing his experience online to raise awareness and encourage others facing similar diagnoses. His story centers on the urgent need for transplantation as the definitive treatment for his failing kidneys, the practical decision to pursue home dialysis in the short term, and a hopeful appeal for a living or deceased donor to step forward so he can return to full health.