Georgia family issues desperate plea through social media for father's kidney transplant
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Georgia family is in a "race against time" to find a kidney donor for a father of two and 24-year police veteran who faces fatal renal failure, the man's wife said Friday.
Raleigh Callaway, a 49-year-old father of two and long-time investigator with the Greensboro Police Department in Georgia, recently learned that he has "Stage 5" kidney failure, his wife told FoxNews.com.
"It's the end stage," Kristi Callaway said. "We're in desperate need for a match."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Callaways, who have two daughters, ages 2 and 4, went public with their plea on Wednesday, launching a Facebook page called, "Our Daddy Needs a Kidney." The social media page has garnered nearly 4,000 followers since it was created less than 48 hours ago.
Callaway, who has had chronic kidney disease for about 10 years, is being treated at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, the transplant center received 300 phone calls from prospective donors wanting to be tested, Callaway's wife said.
Since learning of her husband's grave condition this week, Kristi Callaway said, "We are just going full speed ahead hoping and praying that he is going to get a match sooner rather than later."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Callaway explained the complexity involving kidney donations, saying, "It only takes one donor, but it takes a lot of people to be tested to find that match."
Those candidates with high blood pressure or diabetes, for instance, are automatically ruled out.
"Anyone who is not diabetic and does not have high blood pressure requiring the use of one than one medication is a good candidate," Callaway said. "My husband is AB positive -- the universal blood type -- so there's not a single person he can't receive blood from."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Callaway said that, according to Emory Hospital, the initial blood work and the 24-hour urine collection is a part of the pre-screening process and will be covered by special funding through Emory so "the costs to the potential donor will be zero." wrote Kritsi Callaway.
Anyone interested in helping Raleigh Callaway is urged to immediately contact the Emory Clinic Department of Transplants at 1-855-366-7989.