COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — We first introduced you to Brandon Talley four years ago. The father of three was in dire need of a kidney. He was diagnosed with kidney failure brought on by diabetes.
After three years on dialysis, he received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor last October.
“I got to the point in May where I started noticing some symptoms with the rejection medication,” Talley said.
Talley said after going in for a checkup, he was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease that affects very few transplant patients. It essentially damages the organ’s function which can lead to kidney failure.
“It is so rare that doctors are now doing research to find out the root cause of it,” Talley said.
Talley said now he’s once again in the fight of his life.
“It is pretty much life or death,” Talley said.
Now, the search is on for a living donor. According to the National Kidney Foundation, a kidney from a living donor lasts about 15 to 20 years, compared to 7 to 10 years for a kidney from a deceased donor.