(WSVN) - A South Florida firefighter is used to risking his life to safely rescue others, but now his lifesaving donation is giving his neighbor a shot at a longer life. Karen Hensel has our 7Spotlight.
For Bruno Ferretti, family is the light of his life, but a few months ago, he feared his time with them was running out.
Bruno Ferretti, diagnosed with chronic kidney disease: “I was actually speaking to a dermatologist. He recommended, ‘Hey, let’s just get some quick blood work.’ Two weeks later, he calls me, and he leaves me a voice message, and he’s like, ‘Hey, you need to go to the hospital immediately. Something’s very wrong with you.'”
At 35 years old, Bruno was diagnosed with Stage 4 chronic kidney disease.
Bruno Ferretti: “Mine were so far gone that by the time that I found out, my only two options were going to be dialysis for the rest of my life or a transplant.”
Bruno has hypertension, which is one of the most common causes of chronic kidney failure. His kidneys went from functioning at 36% to just 7%.
When he was diagnosed, his wife was six months pregnant with their first child.
Bruno Ferretti: “Am I going to be OK, and is my wife going to raise a child without a father?”
But their neighbor, Chris Staton, refused to let that fear become their future.
Chris Staton, donating kidney: “He put it out there that, Hey, if anybody wants to donate,’ and by the time he said that, I was already on the website registering.”
Chris has saved lives on the front lines as a Miami-Dade County firefighter. He did not think twice about donating his kidney to save Bruno.
Chris Staton: “I love the guy. I love his wife, I love his kid, and I could never live with myself if he had to do three years of dialysis and may never get a kidney. That’s just not a question.”
After some grueling tests, screenings and evaluations, Bruno got the news he needed.
Bruno Ferretti: “One in a 100,000 chance. He was a perfect match.”
Arlette Cartaya: “Every time that I think about it, there’s no words to say how grateful I am for what he’s done and how he stepped up. There’s no way to repay him.”
Bruno could have spent the next three to five years waiting for a kidney. But in just a matter of weeks, Chris will give him a lifeline, here at Cleveland Clinic.
Chris Staton: “I never thought twice about it. I was proud to be the one that’s giving it to him.”
And Bruno will be forever grateful to Chris for saving his life.
Bruno Ferretti: “One of the things that he told me is, the most important thing to him was seeing his children grow up, and he told me, ‘I want you to share these things that I’ve been able to see with my children.'”
He hopes to use this experience to spread awareness about chronic kidney disease.
Bruno Ferretti: “Get your blood work done every six months. There were not a lot of signs. I did have a cardiologist. I would see him regularly. They never caught it.”
Now, Chris is not just a firefighter, or Bruno’s neighbor. He’s the man who’s giving Bruno’s family a brighter future.
Karen Hensel, 7News.
Since Chris Staton is the sole provider for his family, a GoFundMe page was created ahead of his surgery that is expected to keep him away from work for two months. Click here if you would like to donate.
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