Teen battling rare birth condition to get life-saving kidney after donor match
By WABC Eyewitness News
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NEW YORK (WABC) — A teenager on Long Island facing a critical health battle will get a life-saving kidney after finding a matching donor.
Elias Manolis, a 13-year-old boy from Franklin Square, was born with a kidney condition known as UVJ obstruction, and because of it, his kidneys are now failing. His parents don’t qualify as kidney donors, nor do others in his family.
Eyewitness News spoke with Manolis in January about his desperate search for a new kidney.
“If I get a new kidney, then I actually can live a normal life,” he said. “On a weekend, I would normally go out with a friend, go biking, but as soon as 1 o’clock hits, I have to come home and do a catheterization,” Manolis told Eyewitness News.
On Friday, Manolis’ mother posted on social media that someone has graciously agreed to donate a kidney to him.
“Life-altering news!!!! We’re beyond thrilled that a kind-hearted living donor has been found for Elias. Our hearts are full of gratitude,” wrote Manolis’ mother in the description of the video posted to Instagram.
At the time, doctors said they were looking for potential donors with type O or B bloods, and a body mass index of 35 of less in order to find a match for Manolis.
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