LARGO, Fla. — A Pinellas County father of four is suffering from kidney disease and needs a life-saving kidney donor.
Leron Roberts has worked for the City of Largo for nearly 10 years. He is a solid waste driver.
"I drive the claw truck. I just basically go around picking up large bulk items that won’t fit in your trash cans," he said.
In 2019, he discovered his kidneys were failing. He said he has a hereditary kidney disease and carries the trait for sickle cell disease.
"My doctor during routine test said, 'oh, something seems to be wrong with your kidneys, let me send you to a kidney doctor,' and that's when they started doing tests and found out I had a genetic disease and he said, he told me, not if my kidney is going to fail, but when they're going to fail," said Roberts.
In 2023, his kidneys started to fail and he needs daily dialysis.
"All I need is somebody with healthy kidneys with O positive blood, that's willing to donate," he said.
Largo Public Library Director Casey McPhee received a life-saving kidney donation in March of 2024.
McPhee and Roberts once worked together at the library.
"Casey is the one who actually hired me in the City of Largo back in 2014. I applied for a job to a security job and got hired and there was for six months," said Roberts.
Prior to the kidney transplant, McPhee needed daily dialysis, a treatment for kidney failure, seven days a week for nine hours a day.
ABC Action News shared her story in August of 2023.
"About eight or nine years ago, some blood work showed my kidney function was dropping, and I had high blood pressure, and a few other situations made that a little worse, so I have a family history of kidney disease. My mother died from kidney disease in 1987," said McPhee.
McPhee encourages people to learn more about the Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program.
"I would say explore it and see if it’s something you’d be comfortable with, there’s just so much information out there and so many testimonials. My donor actually had a mentor they worked with and they said that was probably the best thing cause they could ask questions of someone who had pretty much had just done it probably six months before," said McPhee.
Roberts is hoping someone hears his story and gives him a life-saving gift.
"It would save my life. I had a doctor tell me, once, that people on dialysis, the average life span is five years, this is my second year on dialysis so I'm kind of running out of time. You would be actually saving my life," he said.
For more information on becoming a kidney donor, click here. People are asked to take a questionnaire.
To learn more about Roberts and his journey including how to help,click here.
For more information about TGH’s program, call (813) 844-5669 or 1-800-505-7769. Press 5 for the kidney transplant program, then 3 for the Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program.
Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone obtained the most recent batch of Florida teacher exit interviews which detail, in their own words, why teachers left the classroom this summer.
