10-year-old Wayne County boy on waiting list for new kidney
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A 10-year-old Wayne County boy is on the list for a new kidney.
Jake Algerio and his family are working closely with the Wright Center for Community Health.
They are all praying Jake receives a lifesaving call soon.
28/22 News Reporter Amelia Sack had the chance to meet Jake and his mom Brianne and learn about his journey.
“I’m a gamer. I play with my friends,” Jake said.
Meet 10-year-old Jake Algerio.
“Go on my tablet and watch YouTube,” Jake continued.
The Wayne County boy enjoys typical ten-year-old activities, like video games, comic books, and picking friendly fights with his three siblings.
“Boy, man, when they go, it’s like a little tornado in the house. He loves his siblings, you know? He looks for them,” said Jake’s mom, Brianne.
Jake’s journey hasn’t been easy. His health issues started before birth. Serious problems with his bladder led to his being delivered prematurely.
Just two years later, his family learned for certain that Jake’s health was still in limbo.
“Age two, we had to get him lab work for schooling, cause they suspected something, like we did the labwork and his sodium was so high,” Brianne stated.
Jake’s kidneys were not functioning properly. Since his diagnosis, he’s been on dialysis.
A catheter remains inserted into his stomach. At age four, doctors determined he needed a new kidney.
Flash forward to days before his sixth birthday, Jake underwent his first transplant surgery, which failed due to complications.
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Now, he’s back on the list, in hopes of finding the perfect match.
“We’re just hopeful that someday somebody comes close, and we can do it,” Brianne continued.
Brianne has a community of hope behind her, through the Wright Center for Community Health.
She works as a medical assistant at the nonprofit’s Hawley location and says she’s been shown lots of support from her team.
“I just think that the support that they lend to the word and to the cause is phenomenal,” Brianne continued.
A cause that would save her son’s life. A new kidney would allow Jake to run and play freely, enjoying more video games, time with friends, and more antics with his siblings.
“It would be happy and exciting,” Jake described.
In the meantime, Brianne and her family are taking it day by day, admiring Jake’s decade of bravery.
“I’m really proud of him,” Brianne added.
Algerio and her husband, Don Sweeley Jr., crafted a flier outlining the donor qualifications for their son: an individual with either A+ or O+ blood type, who is physically fit, in good overall health, with no significant medical issues, and has not undergone major abdominal surgery.
To help Jake, visit the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) website at https://tinyurl.com/fkdea2yf or call 1-877-ORGAN50 (674-2650).
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