18-04-2025
Local 28-year-old man needs second kidney transplant
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – Mike Rogers, Jr. is in need of a new kidney for the second time, and he is only 28 years old.
'Once I get that transplant, I want to be physically fit. I want to be mentally ready so that I can go back to living a normal life,' Rogers said.
Rogers has Alport syndrome, a genetic condition that impacts his kidneys, which was passed down to him from his mother. According to the Cleveland Clinic, those with Alport syndrome may experience kidney failure as well as hearing and vision loss. The Cleveland Clinic reports that it is a rare disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
Rogers first noticed symptoms of the condition when he was young. The condition began to take control and shut down his kidneys in September 2017. After a year of waiting for a kidney transplant, he matched with a family friend who had passed away. He got his first transplant on December 7, 2018.
'It saved my life. I was healthy. For a while, I was able to do things, had lived a normal life again, and medications and stuff like that helped me,' Rogers said.
After the transplant, his life flourished for years. He was able to land a good job, and he befriended the staff of Renegade Toys in Boardman. He has worked there part-time over the past six years. Renegade Toys co-owner Walter Raniolo first met Rogers when he was trying to get his first kidney transplant.
'He had missed years of where he could have been in college, or could have been educated, and we brought him here and trained him pretty much. He was very knowledgeable in the topics and subjects we have here,' Raniolo said.
This January, Rogers became sick. He contracted double pneumonia, which took a toll on his transplant. He had to be quickly put back on dialysis. Rogers now has to do treatments three days a week.
'Since I'm older, it's beaten me up a lot more than it did before. I'm a lot more tired and I don't have a lot of energy,' Rogers said.
Rogers admitted that he is going through an immense struggle. He said that he struggles to use the restroom and that he is limited to drinking only 32 ounces of fluid per day. Rogers goes through pain almost daily. He finds peace when he is in the company of his family and friends.
'I try to fight, you know, not to just go home and just sit by myself. You know I want to go out, talk to people instead of just sitting at home and feeling bad,' he said.
Rogers said that he has a mindset of hoping for the best while preparing for the worst so that he is ready for whatever happens next.
'Something good is going to come. Something good is going to happen. But preparing for the worst is also preparing for the likelihood that something bad could happen, or something might not go the way that you want it. And that's OK, because that's that's life,' he said.
Raniolo was there for Rogers in the hospital when he first found out about his kidney transplant going bad. Raniolo and the team have started raising money for Rogers through a ticket raffle. Raniolo explained that he wanted to help try to take the pressure off Rogers' everyday life.
'I don't know where I would be in his situation. I don't know what I would do. He's keeping a very positive approach to this. So it is awe-inspiring,' Raniolo said.
Rogers still awaits a new kidney so that he can be given a new life again. He explained why it's important for everyone to be an organ donor.
'Those organs, the tissues, and anything can go and save and prolong somebody else's life, and give them a better chance at living a fulfilling life,' Rogers said.
Rogers jokingly calls himself the mascot of Renegade Toys. He performs comedy skits in a gorilla mask with his coworkers in the store. The Flying Jalopy and the Grizzly Viking Gorilla perform at local toy expos in the area as well. Rogers looks at the gorilla as a symbol of strength, and he loves getting to entertain his fans. Rogers and his friends raised $100 for Angels For Animals as well.
'A lot of kids and people in the area love it. We have a little fan base,' Rogers said.
Rogers and Renegade Toys will be at the Super Toy Events expo at the Canfield Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 19, collecting donations for the raffle from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 a piece and they can be purchased at the event or at Renegade Toys on Market Street in Boardman during store hours.
The winner of the raffle drawing will receive a number of quality, rare items ranging from action figures to Air Jordan tennis shoes. The winning ticket will be drawn on Saturday, April 26, at the store. You can watch the drawing of the winning ticket on their Facebook page.
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