GARNER, N.C. (WTVD) — At just 23 years old, Harris Canady faces a battle he never expected. He is a musician, soil scientist, and North Carolina State University graduate whose beloved son is in need of a kidney transplant.
I had lived a healthy life for over 20 years, but last summer I caught a cold. Later, she was found to have abnormally high blood pressure. After many tests, he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. IGA nephropathy. Only about 60,000 people in the United States have this disease.
He has to stop working for now as his kidney function is around 10%. He moved home with his parents while battling this disease. He has tried several different treatments and therapies, but at this point he needs a transplant.
Falling in love with an organ or letting it go may seem like a scary thing, but it’s actually not.
– Dori Goebel, Living Organ Donor
“I am obligated and determined to find a replacement for my son,” said Harris’ mother, Angela Canady.
The process turned out to be much more difficult than the Canadis had previously thought. Full of obstacles and uncertainties, they had to learn a lot and pray a lot to get this far. They went through periods of hopelessness and hopelessness, but are now relying on faith to get them through this next chapter.
They are asking anyone who is even remotely interested in helping this family to at least get tested to see if they are a good fit.
“Giving up your organ sounds like a very scary thing, but it really isn’t,” Greensboro resident Dori Goebel told ABC11. “I donated at 55 and my daughter donated at 27. So we’re both doing well and you’re going to be going strong.”
Goebel and her daughter learned about people in need of living donors and felt called to get tested. Although the recovery time was only a few weeks, Goebel said she would do it all over again if she could.
“You are saving someone’s life and we will be forever grateful,” Angela Cannady said.
As reporters, we rarely tell our own stories, but when covering Harris Canady’s story, we feel obligated to be transparent. My mother received a kidney transplant from her living kidney donor many years ago. My aunt and grandfather also received kidney transplants.
Their disease, polycystic kidney disease, is hereditary and someday I will need a kidney transplant too. Approximately 17 people die every day waiting for organ donation. The need in our community and among donors across the country is great.
Interested in learning more about living kidney donation at Triangle? click here.
Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.
