After his life was upended by a debilitating illness, a young man from Montreal and his family are making a public plea in hopes of finding a compatible kidney donor.
Julian Zadrozny, 25, knew something was wrong when he began experiencing “really bad leg cramps” and other painful symptoms.
“I wasn’t able to sleep through the night,” Zadrozny said in an interview. “And then sometimes occasionally I was having a hard time breathing.”
About six months ago, Zadrozny found out he had a form of end-stage chronic kidney disease caused by a mitochondrial defect. He says his case is rare and doctors are still trying to figure things out.
“There has been six cases recorded and they’re writing a case study about me because they’ve never seen it before,” Zadrozny said.
The illness means Zadrozny has to undergo daily dialysis while he sleeps as he waits for a new kidney. He has to be in bed for 10 hours every day.
Studying has become a struggle because of brain fog, while everyday movement is tiring.
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“Generally I have a hard time if I go up some stairs,” he said. “I’m out of breath and it’s something that that’s really difficult.”
Zadrozny and his partner Kayleigh Tooke have since found themselves in a struggle they never expected, and it has come with a steep learning curve.
Tooke, who works full-time, has a lot to do when she comes home. At first, she worried about hurting Zadrozny with simple loving gestures like hugs or cuddles or making a mistake helping with his treatment.
She has learned how to set up the dialysis machine, including tubes and bags, to help but it isn’t easy and sometimes issues arise.
“It’s always hard when you see someone you love in pain. I personally have a lot of stresses about it,” Tooke said.
The young couple are hoping to find a new kidney for Zadrozny, but he says the wait can be four to five years.
He’s not alone in his struggle. According to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, 73 per cent of Canadians who needed an organ transplant in 2023 were waiting for a kidney.
Even if there is a possibility of a match through the medical system, Zadrozny says it also comes to matching needs with other patients who are in the same position as him.
“They’re going to balance it with people that might need it, more people that have been on dialysis longer,” he said. “And in Quebec, there was quite a few people. Across Canada, we’re looking at about 40,000 people on dialysis.”
But the longer the wait, the harder it will be on Zadrozny.
“Your body doesn’t get stronger. You eventually get weaker and weaker and it’s always going to be tough,” he said, explaining a new kidney could give him the opportunity to “live again.”
The couple have launched a public campaign to find a living donor with a big heart and compatible kidney. They must have blood type O, be in good health and be willing to donate.
“It is a very long process and you’re saving somebody years of their life,” he said. “And you’re giving them back such a joy of life to be able to at least do the things that they like to do.”
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