CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A local Corpus Christi man, Tomas Leza, has been living with End Stage Renal Disease for about two years.
Leza has taken a unique approach to finding a kidney donor.
He created the Facebook page “Kidney for Tomas”to look for a kidney donor. He also made car decals and shirts advertising that he needs a donor with O Positive blood.
Leza undergoes dialysis three times a week and has been living with the disease for about two years. “It’s a tough lifestyle living on a machine,” he said.
He's been on the organ donor list for about a year and half and said doctors informed him he can be on the waiting list for up to eight years or longer depending on if doctors were to find a match.
Tomas said he’s been in a lot of pain and after the disease affected his legs, he had to go through surgery and now gets around with a walker.
“You look at somebody and they say man you look really good…but the body hurts sometimes,” Leza said.
Tomas said there is no medication for his disease, which makes it even harder.
He wants his Facebook page to be a source of information for people going through the same disease and said the page can also be a source of comfort for them.
“Just put information out there just to get people informed on the donation part of it only because it’s hard to find a living donor,” Leza said.
Leza said he hopes to be the support group people might need when going through tough times with the disease.
“We can all fight it and just stay positive and find a good support group behind you that will help you,” Tomas said.
He said even if a donor comes forward who doesn’t have his same blood type, he hopes that his Facebook page can connect someone that needs a kidney to that donor.
“If I can help somebody and help myself…I mean that’s what I’m here to do,” Leza said.
