Latest news with #kidneytransplant
CBS News
2 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Lifelong Phillies fan in need of kidney transplant making pitch to Philadelphia to help save his life
One lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan is making a pitch to the city to help save his life. AJ Tantala, a 25-year-old from Langhorne, Pennsylvania, is hoping people look up and feel inspired to go to bat for him. Tantala has two big passions in life: theater and the Phillies. "I just had this attitude growing up, 'Oh, it's not for me, you can't do that, it's not cool,'" Tantala said. "Later in high school, I got involved in it, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences." "He was born, and I knew from Day 1 that he would be involved in theater arts," Penny Tantala, AJ's mother, said. "I knew it." AJ Tantala even found a way to merge his passions in a Cinderella play. AJ Tantala "I turned around, did a big reveal, and there was my Phillies jersey," he said. "I think it was the biggest standing ovation of the show." Beneath his well-versed life lies enormous health issues. Born with posterior urethral valve syndrome, he suffered from kidney failure when he was 2 years old, with an emergency surgery resulting in kidney disease. "Why can't it be me and not him?" Penny Tantala said. "You never want to see your kids hurt in any way." "For the first 22 years of my life, I was just naive to it," AJ Tantala said. "I was ignoring it." He was no longer able to ignore it about three years ago when his condition worsened. His kidney function was plummeting to about 10%, making the need for a transplant inevitable. "We've had 19 different people come forward and try to be donors for him," Penny Tantala said. "There's some small medical condition that would prohibit them from being a donor." In his urgent search for a kidney donor, AJ Tantala has placed six billboards across the Delaware Valley, featuring the Phillies' font and a photo of himself at opening day. CBS News Philadelphia "I love the Phillies. I know so many people out there do too," AJ Tantala said. "I thought if I went that route, it wouldn't just reach more people but the hearts of a lot more people." A kidney donor would not only give a vital organ but also a chance at his biggest dream: a normal life with the ones he loves. AJ Tantala is recently engaged to a teacher who also loves theater, but he hasn't been able to perform for over two years now.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Teen gets first-of-its-kind kidney transplant thanks to late uncle
For 14-year-old Mario Futia, life was never normal — until a first-of-its-kind kidney transplant from his late uncle gave him a second chance. 'It was difficult, in one way, because you have to somewhat pray for someone to pass to give something to you,' Futia said in a recent interview. 'But on the other hand, it was a bittersweet feeling, because at least some part, at the end of the surgery, will be part of you afterwards.' In December, Futia's uncle suffered a heart attack and slipped into a coma. His son, Alexandre Rainone, Futia's cousin, decided to donate his father's kidney to the teen, so doctors kept the man on life support until the transplant took place in January. 'It was very hard, because now I'm in between my father's death and saving my cousin's life,' Rainone said. The LaSalle teen has been a patient at the Montreal Children's Hospital since he was born with kidney failure. He received his first transplant at just two years old, but his body rejected it, and he developed antibodies against all kidney donors in Canada. So, for the past 12 years, Futia has been on dialysis three times a week, four to five hours at a time, whether it's a school day, weekend, or holiday. He said it took a toll. Dr. Mallory Downie, a pediatric nephrologist at the hospital, explained that once doctors became aware of a potential donor match, one his body was less likely to reject, they developed a new desensitization protocol for him. 'Which means we were able to decrease the antibodies he had towards that kidney and finally accept that kidney. We were able to transplant Mario with the first desensitized kidney transplant in Canada,' Downie said. Downie acknowledged there was a lot of uncertainty with this rare and exceptional case and that it required a leap of faith and trust in the system and experts in the field. 'We worked with experts from the United States, our colleagues here at McGill University Health Centre, and relied on many, many experts to guide us in how to do this,' she added. Futia's dad, Giuseppe, said that he was thankful for his son's second chance at living a normal life. Although the teen will have to go back to the hospital for regular checkups, it's nothing compared to the burden of dialysis. '[This transplant is] a second attempt for a new lease on life,' the teen said. With files from Swidda Rassy
RNZ News
17-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
PNG doctors perform first-ever kidney transplant at Port Moresby General Hospital
In a news conference on Thursday, the Health Minister told reporters that kidney failure has been a cause for concern in PNG. Photo: POM General Hospital Doctors in Papua New Guinea have successfully carried out the country's first kidney transplant at the Port Moresby General Hospital. Health Minister Elias Kapavore praised the operation and said patients can now access treatment cheaply and within the country. In a news conference on Thursday, he told reporters that kidney failure has been a cause for concern in PNG. "Today, I want to announce to our people the successful operation of the first kidney transplant," he said. He also confirmed that the country now has 12 kidney dialysis machines. NBC reported that it costs about 500,000 kina (approximately US$123,000) for a kidney transplant overseas. However, Kapavore said that if done in PNG, the cost comes down to under 10,000 kina (around US$2500). Kapavore said about 50 patients receive dialysis treatment at Port Moresby General Hospital three times a week. "Our country must be able to perform kidney transplants in PNG. We must also be able to treat cancer patients in our country and must also have the capacity to treat heart problems in our country. "These are serious milestones, a transformative health system that we now have in place." "As Minister for Health, under the Marape-Rosso government, supported by many of our partners, we are making inroads in many of these health interventions that we thought could not be possible during this time." NBC reported that, to carry out the transplant, a temporary licence was issued for a transplant team visiting from the United Kingdom.
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
PNG doctors perform first-ever kydney transplant at Port Moresby General Hospital
In a news conference on Thursday, the Health Minister told reporters that kidney failure has been a cause for concern in PNG. Photo: POM General Hospital Doctors in Papua New Guinea have successfully carried out the country's first kidney transplant at the Port Moresby General Hospital. Health Minister Elias Kapavore praised the operation and said patients can now access treatment cheaply and within the country. In a news conference on Thursday, he told reporters that kidney failure has been a cause for concern in PNG. "Today, I want to announce to our people the successful operation of the first kidney transplant," he said. He also confirmed that the country now has 12 kidney dialysis machines. NBC reported that it costs about 500,000 kina (approximately US$123,000) for a kidney transplant overseas. However, Kapavore said that if done in PNG, the cost comes down to under 10,000 kina (around US$2500). Kapavore said about 50 patients receive dialysis treatment at Port Moresby General Hospital three times a week. "Our country must be able to perform kidney transplants in PNG. We must also be able to treat cancer patients in our country and must also have the capacity to treat heart problems in our country. "These are serious milestones, a transformative health system that we now have in place." "As Minister for Health, under the Marape-Rosso government, supported by many of our partners, we are making inroads in many of these health interventions that we thought could not be possible during this time." NBC reported that, to carry out the transplant, a temporary licence was issued for a transplant team visiting from the United Kingdom.
CNN
15-05-2025
- Health
- CNN
Overdose deaths decline, a cross-species kidney transplant, poems help conservation efforts: Catch up on the day's stories
👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! Do you consistently clock in overtime? Working long hours could come with a cost. Along with physical and emotional overexertion, new research found 'significant changes' in the brains of people who are overworked. Here's what else you might have missed during your busy day: 1️⃣ Unprecedented drop: US drug overdose deaths in 2024 hit the lowest they've been in five years, according to a new estimate from the federal government. Last month, the Trump administration laid out its drug policy priorities for 2025, but cuts to funding for agencies like the CDC could threaten the progress made. 2️⃣ Costs an arm and a leg: Home-renovation professionals tell CNN that they've been bracing for higher prices due to tariffs. From Tuscan tilework to Chinese refrigerators, the US imports billions of dollars worth of home goods from around the globe. Here's how tariffs are threatening this booming industry. 3️⃣ A shot at living: In the US, nearly 90,000 people are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. The typical wait is three to five years, but that time was doubled for Tim Andrews, who also has a rare blood type. Now, Andrews is thriving as one of only a handful of patients to undergo an experimental cross-species transplant of a kidney from a genetically modified pig. 4️⃣ Poems & porpoises: The Yangtze finless porpoise — a smaller dolphin-like creature — has faced extreme declines in numbers in the past four decades. A research team in China used ancient poems to find clues as to where the animals historically thrived, to help with conservation efforts. 5️⃣ 'A magical place': This extraordinary desert country aims to be a major tourist destination by 2030. In January 2023, its government introduced changes, making a once-challenging-to-obtain visa guaranteed upon arrival after paying fees. As a result, tourism has significantly increased. GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX CNN's 5 Things newsletter is your one-stop shop for the latest headlines and fascinating stories to start and end your busy day. Sign up here. ⌚Tiny time: The world's thinnest tourbillon watch — which costs $678,000 — weighs just 43 grams and squeezes intricate mechanisms into a timepiece only 1.85mm thick. • Trump's embrace of Syria could reshape the Middle East• First on CNN: New book reveals how Biden's inner circle kept Cabinet from him in final two years of presidency• Defense cross-examination of Cassie Ventura will begin Thursday in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial 🍟 That's how many people McDonald's says it plans to hire this summer. It's the fast-food chain's biggest employment initiative in five years. ☠️ Fossil find: A cicada pressed into rocks approximately 47 million years ago is so well preserved that you can see the veins in its wings. The discovery gives scientists new hints about how the bug evolved. 🎤 Speaking out: Robert De Niro used his acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival to criticize President Donald Trump, calling him a 'philistine president.' 📺 What did ESPN name its new flagship streaming service?A. Disney+ SportsB. Sports on DemandC. ESPND. Sports Now⬇️ Scroll down for the answer. 🤩 Surprise! Celine Dion made an unexpected video appearance at Eurovision, 37 years after winning the contest. The Canadian-born star delivered a heartfelt message to contestants, organizers and viewers at the semi-final event. 👋 We'll see you tomorrow.🧠 Quiz answer: C. ESPN. 'There's power in our name, and there's trust in our name,' network chairman James Pitaro said on the decision to stick with the company's four letters.📧 Check out all of CNN's newsletters. 5 Things PM is produced by CNN's Chris Good, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.
