x
Breaking News
More () »

Olean High School senior searching for kidney donor

19-year-old Alayna Rhodes is asking for the favor of a lifetime, after both her kidneys are only operating at seven percent & she'll soon have to start dialysis.

OLEAN, N.Y. — Find something you love and never let it go.

That's what 19-year-old Alayna Rhodes is trying to do by completing beauty school at Cattaraugus County BOCES.

"Then (I eventually want to work) up to my main goal of working in South Korea as a hairstylist or makeup artists," Rhodes said. "I just want to work with idols K-pop idols."

She might not even get a chance to do so.

Rhodes will soon have to go on dialysis, which would drain all her energy.

It's something the Olean High School senior already struggles to find on a daily basis.

"The school has given her a key for the elevator to use so she doesn't have to go up the stairs because she becomes extremely winded. She doesn't participate in all of the family activities that we have either because she's just too tired," said her mother Angela Natik. 

When she was born, Alayna's spinal cord didn't develop correctly, also known as spina bifida. It's forced her to use a catheter ever since but now her kidneys are failing.

"All of a sudden, last fall, Alayna was feeling really sick. They ran the test and it plummeted from 20 percent to eight percent," Natik said. 

They're now only operating at seven percent which is why Alayna's mother is hoping someone will be able to help her daughter and be the right match.

"Currently, there's over 100,000 people on that waiting list just for a kidney. They've said it could be like four to five years for a cadaver donor," Natik siad. 

It's time Alayna can't wait for when she's hoping to get back to the little things she loves like getting surprised with concert tickets for one of her favorite K-pop bands.

Then there's the bigger picture, too.

"It's giving me a lot more time to live out my life," Rhodes said. 

It could also give her the possibility to follow those dreams and accomplish all she's ever wanted. 

If you'd like to find out if you're a match and can donate a kidney to Alayna, fill out the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's registration form here: http://livingdonorreg.upmc.com/

For anyone who might want to see some testimonials from living donors and recipients or learn more about kidney donation, head to www.kidney.org.

Before You Leave, Check This Out