Singer Josh Levi, who starred in Friday Night Lights as Darius Merriweather, is desperately searching for a kidney donor. He revealed on Tuesday that his mother’s kidneys are failing. He needs someone with AB+ blood that can step up and provide assistance.
“Really wish I didn’t have to post this,” the X-Factor alum wrote in an Instagram post. “This is something I’ve been secretly processing for the past 15 years but this is my mom Arbie and her kidneys are failing and she needs a new kidney in the next 2 months. She is at stage 5. I’ve already done everything I can but I don’t know if it’s gonna work.”
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hi, my mom Arbie needs a kidney in the next 2 months. she is at stage 5. please retweet and share. let’s please show black women that we have their back. i owe it to her. pic.twitter.com/JXYFHUwDMr
— JOSH LEVI (@JoshLeviWorld) November 17, 2020
“Please share. Let’s find her a donor, I owe it to her,” Levi continued. “Let’s please show Black women that we have their back. Pls share and lmk [let me know] if u have questions.”
Levi continued to provide information about the necessary kidney surgery with a series of Instagram Stories. He said that people are “born with an extra kidney” and that you only need one to live a long and healthy life. He also said that the donor surgery is done with little incisions and that most people can return to “normal activities” in 2-4 weeks.
“Donating a Kidney does not change one’s life expectancy and does not increase the risk of kidney failure,” Levi added at the end of his Stories. He then said that his insurance benefits would cover all of the costs of the surgery.
According to the American Kidney Fund, kidneys can still filter out waste during the early stages of kidney disease. The later stages force the kidneys to work harder to get rid of waste. They may also stop working entirely.
Stage 5 of kidney disease occurs when the organs get close to failure or completely shut down. Waste builds up in the blood and causes sickness. The only way for the patients to continue living is to go on dialysis or have a successful kidney transplant. Levi’s mother is at this point, and the singer is doing everything he can to help find a donor.
