Family makes desperate appeal for kidney donor to save son’s life

Fraser Jeavons, 13, urgently needs a donor after tests revealed family members were not a suitable match.

A family is making a desperate public appeal to find someone willing to donate a kidney to save their son’s life.

Fraser Jeavons, 13, has kidney failure and urgently needs a live donor to come forward after tests revealed family members were not a suitable match.

The youngster needs dialysis three times a week in Leeds but his family says the long-term prognosis isn’t positive unless he gets a new kidney.

Fraser was born prematurely which led to health problems including kidney failure.

He had received a kidney transplant aged four but in 2014 was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer which was linked to drugs he had been prescribed to ensure his body didn’t reject the kidney.

Fraser, from Almondbury, west Yorkshire, suffered a further blow 18 months ago when his transplanted kidney stopped working.

Now he needs a generous stranger to step forward and offer their ‘spare’ kidney to save his life.

His grandma Marlene Jeavons said: ‘Following the rejection of his transplanted kidney, he is now highly sensitised and can only have a kidney from someone that does not have specific antibodies that he will reject.

‘It means his chances of getting another kidney, although not impossible, are statistically lower. The more people that come forward, the better his chances.

‘We are hoping our appeal will encourage people to come forward for testing as he desperately needs a live donor to save his life.’

Potential donors must have blood type O and be under the age of 55.

They have to fill out a questionnaire before they can be considered as a donor.

Marlene issued the appeal on behalf of the family, including Fraser’s mum and dad, Richard and Beverley, his grandad Paul, a retired GP, and Fraser’s siblings, twin brother William and sister Isabella.

She added: ‘Fraser needs a kidney sooner or later and cannot be on dialysis long-term because they get complications.

‘He spends a lot of his time at the hospital. He can’t play sports and he cannot go swimming, although he loves swimming.

‘He has a very restrictive diet and cannot have chocolate, ice cream or chips. He hasn’t grown in the past year.

‘He does take all this in his stride as it’s all he has ever known. He has spent around 60% of his life in hospital and he now knows all the medical terms.

‘He knows how important it is to get a kidney. He knows that a donor would be fine with just one kidney.

‘Our appeal for a kidney is to please “share your spare”.’