WILDWOOD, Mo. — A St. Louis County man needs the public's help finding a new donor.
Taylor George, 30, was diagnosed with diabetes at 10 years old. Things shifted in January 2023 for George when there were complications within his bloodstream and doctors told him he was in complete kidney failure. He underwent surgery and began dialysis so that he could continue to filter toxins out of his blood.
George's body has now built a tolerance to the dialysis. Doctors predict that he has less than a year before he has to switch to hemodialysis to keep him alive.
"I've been in and out of treatments for the past year. It's about 10 hours every afternoon, and I have to be plugged into a machine," George said.
During that time, George said that he plays video games, reads and watches TV.
"There is a little pain and discomfort that comes with treatment … (I do) anything to stop me from thinking about the fact that I'm plugged up," he said.
George said he believes that what has helped him through this journey is the support from his family, girlfriend and friends.
"It's not an easy journey, and it never will be," he said. "You get to see how lucky of a person you are when crisis hits you like this."
George's girlfriend, Angel Tresch said, "I've been seeing him get worse and continue to struggle as the days go by. We are hoping to find a donor ASAP and would like to avoid switching to hemodialysis and the additional surgery that is required with it, if possible."
She said about 45 pounds of fluid is filtered through his body each day during those ten hours.
"But even on days he can barely get out of bed, he gets up and shows up. He shows up for me, he shows up for his friends and family, and he shows up for his job. And he does it all with a smile on his face," Tresch said.
Although George wants a kidney, he acknowledges the long road ahead. Once he finds a match, his body has to be able to take the kidney without complications.
Due to his age, George has to also consider that "organs can last five years, they can last 20 years. Regardless, if I have a long life - which is what we are all hoping for - there will eventually be a need for another kidney down the line," he said.
As a child, George loved the "Percy Jackson" book series which he began reading right after he learned about his diabetes. He said the author served as a distant cheerleader pushing him towards possibility.
"Rick Riordan was a big inspiration … A big part of the plot was all of these kids that were dyslexic or ADHD or had a mental handicap of a physical handicap, and he used those as a platform to instill these kids with power later on," he said recalling how hard the transition was for him. "Just because you had it rough early on doesn't mean you can't become something amazing."
George currently works in the St. Louis County Police Department's IT department. He finds hope in Police Sgt. John Spicer, who was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2023 and has received a new kidney.
As for the future, George said, "I would love to continue working in IT and travel as much as I can. I would love to invent or create something. It all comes down to what my freedoms are as far as my abilities."
He wants to see places like Greece, Sweden and Japan someday.
In the meantime, George said that he and Tresch go on day trips.
"We call them little adventures," he said. "We try to see national parks and see things we've never seen before. … We try to treat ourselves at least once a month with a date to just slow down and soak up the time that we have together."
George wants to encourage people to help and remind others that there are multiple ways to help.
"It feels like a race because you're running. But there is this kind of looming feeling like something is going to catch up to you. And you know on the bad days, it does catch up. I'm not ashamed to say it will make you cry, it will beat you down, it will knock you to your knees, but you gotta keep moving."
If you have Type A blood, you may be able to help George. However, the ultimate indicator of a good match is a blood sample.
"I can't even begin to express how life changing it would be if Taylor found a match. Anyone willing to commit such a selfless act for him would forever be apart of the family. You'd be saving his life and we'd be eternally grateful," Tresch said.
George is on the BJC Healthcare kidney transplant list. Call 314-362-5365, option 4, for any questions.
George said this gesture would only cost you time because his insurance would cover the procedure.
If you would like to be a donor for others in need of a kidney donor, click here.
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