Hardin County Man’s Lifesaving Mission: Desperately Seeking Kidney Transplant Match

A local man is hoping for a life-saving gift from a living donor.  Mount Victory resident Heath Keckler is 35 years old and is living with chronic kidney disease. 

According to the American Kidney Fund, over 37 million people in the United States are living with chronic kidney disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease can cause an array of symptoms like weight loss due to lack of appetite, muscle depletion, daily morning sickness/vomiting, edema, severe anemia that can cause dangerously low hemoglobin, high blood pressure and more.

When he was born, he had a 5% chance of surviving due to all his medical complications at birth. Heath beat the odds and was able to survive with his one working kidney until he was able to receive his first transplant from his little sister Cheyanne on April 26, 2013.  Fortunately for Heath, she was a match to be his living donor, and he did not have to receive dialysis at that time. 

Eleven years later, Heath is now being told to prepare for another kidney transplant.  His kidneys have been functioning as low as 15%.  This has started to cause a serious impact on his life. 

Heath has been unable to work since the fall of 2023.  His health issues have also caused him to cut back on doing the things he loves like riding his Harley, working on cars and participating in everyday activities outdoors with his family, that others may take for granted.

Heath also tries to abide by a very limited diet to help preserve his current kidney function, but he finds the renal diet challenging to say the least.

He was placed on the Cleveland Clinic transplant list in April of this year and on OSU’s list in May of this year.  He is being told it could take anywhere from 2 to 6 years to get a match from a deceased donor.

His nephrologist has been trying to prepare him for dialysis for the last few months, but Heath is determined to go as long as he can without having to rely on a machine to filter his body to keep him alive.

He now has an appointment scheduled next month to discuss the placement of an artery vein fistula for the possibility of dialysis. He is hoping that a miracle happens and that he gets a call that there is a kidney for him soon. Receiving a kidney would ensure that he can get his normal life back and enjoy it with his loving wife Heather and 11-year-old stepdaughter Lyric. 

His family is asking anyone with O blood type who is interested in being a living donor to inquire by emailing heathneedskidney@gmail.com.

Those interested in becoming a living donor can also go online to the Cleveland Clinic’s website and fill out the appropriate living donor forms on a desktop computer, as it will not work correctly on a mobile device. 

Applicants will also need his record number which is MRN#90651761 & his date of birth, which is 01/14/1989. 

Heath also has a Facebook page, Kidney 4 Keckler, that provides updates and follows his journey.