Pittsburgh boy who underwent 2 heart transplants now needs a kidney

Laith Doughtery was just a baby when he had his first heart transplant. After undergoing a second heart transplant, the boy, now 7, is now in desperate need of a kidney.

Four years ago, Dougherty, of Pittsburgh, was diagnosed with kidney failure. At the time, he had 35 percent function of the organs, but now he has 6 percent.

“Right now, he's at a stage five (kidney failure), and they had to do dialysis because they could no longer wait for a donor. His kidney function was too bad,” Ghadah Makoshi, Dougherty’s mother told WPXI.

Last week, the boy underwent surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC to implant a catheter so he can take dialysis from home.

Makoshi said her son used to be outgoing and energetic.

“He loves video games. He likes building. He likes science,” she told WPXI.

The family is looking for a kidney donor and shared that the boy has B positive blood and can accept a kidney from a donor with an O or B (positive or negative) blood type.

Potential matches can reach their kidney coordinator, Angela Barber, at 412-647-5489.