Family of Ackworth teenager launch urgent appeal a donor for his kidney transplant

He lives locally with his Grandmother, Marlene Jeavons, so he can be closer to his school in Ackworth - 70 miles away from his parents and two siblings, including his twin brother, William.

Fraser suffered an ischaemic event during his birth which resulted in irreparable damage to his kidneys.

After receiving his first kidney transplant from an anonymous donor at the age of four, his medication, an immuno-suppressant drug would lead to Fraser developing a type of cancer called Burketts Lymphoma just four years later.

And after overcoming the cancer, his body rejected the transplant, which left Fraser with kidney failure.

Grandmother, Marlene, said: “Fraser is a fighter through and through, he loves gaming and WWE, he can’t wait to get back to doing all that.

“He has Haemodialyis three times a week at Leeds Children's hospital, however the prognosis is not good unless he gets a donor kidney - and lockdown has obviously slowed down that process.

“Once Fraser’s body rejected the kidney and he started developing antibodies.

“He’s highly sensitised and can only have a kidney from someone with type O blood that does not have these specific antibodies.”

“We’ve had so many family members tested but nobody is a match, we’re relying solely on donors coming forward to be tested.”

More than 50 per cent of the population will have these antibodies, meaning finding a kidney from a deceased person has proven very difficult for the family.

During lockdown, all transplants and testing were suspended, which has further stunted Fraser’s transplant journey.

Marlene said: “We are looking for someone to come forward who is a match, the testing process takes around six months.

“We either need an altruistic donor, meaning someone who is willing to offer their kidney to anybody who needs a transplant.

“Or we need someone to come forward from Fraser's appeal and donate a kidney to him - if the two are incompatible blood types but the person is is still interested in donating a kidney, there is a UK Living kidney sharing scheme which would allow the kidney to go to a patient whose blood type matches theirs.”

Despite the odds, Fraser is still smiling, Marlene says.

“Due to Fraser’s condition, he has spent over sixty per cent of his life in hospital and he’s on a very restricted diet, he can’t really have sweet treats like chocolate, but it’s just a way of life for him.

“He also can’t swim or take part in sports, but he loves WWE wrestling and playing games.”

“Ackworth School is great with Fraser, they have a medical centre and a nurse on site, all the teachers are aware of his condition and dietary needs, even when he’s in hospital, a teacher goes down to teach him there.

“He was very upset when he had to be shielded from school, despite him only being able to attend two full days a week, he’s such a sociable little guy and school meant so much more than just learning to him.”

To become a donor, you must be between 18 and 55 years of age. If you are interested in being tested for donor eligibility to contact [email protected] and reference ‘help fraser’

To keep updated with frasers story, visit HelpFraser on Facebook

Or to read more about the kidney sharing scheme click here