Would You Share Your Spare? Township Administrator and Township Resident in Need of Living Donors
Two members of our community, Jason Barron and Lucinda Karustis, are afflicted with end-stage kidney disease.
Both are currently living on dialysis; but, they are in need of kidney transplants to enable them to continue enjoying life with their families and friends.
We are hoping to find living donors for our friends.
Did you know that only one donated kidney is needed to replace two failed kidneys, which makes living-donor kidney transplant an alternative to deceased-donor kidney transplant. Other advantages of living donor kidney transplant are:
Less time spent on a waiting list, which could prevent possible complications and deterioration of health of the recipient
Potential avoidance of dialysis if it has not been initiated
Better short- and long-term survival rates
Your transplant may be scheduled in advance once your donor is approved versus an unscheduled, emergency transplant procedure with a deceased donor kidney
Both are affiliated with Penn Transplant. Please visit https://penntransplant.donorscreen.org/register/now to begin the process to save their lives.
You can never have enough friends test for compatibility. The more people who test for compatibility increase the odds of finding a match. Both residents have had friends and family begin the process of matching; but, a match has not been found.
Jason and Lucinda will be joining us on Community Day in the Main Tent. Please stop by to get to know them, hear their story, and discuss ways you might best help them.
Jason and Lucinda extend their sincerest appreciation for any anticipated help.
Jason, age 47, was born and raised in Chester County. Jason coached baseball, basketball, and football for his son's youth teams. He could often be found fishing with his son, Zach, and with his friends. He enjoys the beach and likes to golf. Jason’s life changed in 1998 when he was diagnosed with IgA Nephritis, a genetic kidney disease that led to kidney failure five years ago. Seven days a week, Jason performs peritoneal dialysis at home which runs for over 10 hours a night. Jason has no freedom or energy to do many of the daily life activities we take for granted. He would love to live a longer, healthier life to watch his son grow older and start a family of his own. Jason has been responsible for all zoning, planning, and building permit approvals, land development, and subdivision matters of the township and its homeowners for 17 years. He loves his job and the community he serves.
Lucinda “Cindy” Karustis, age 59, is a loving bride to Jim and mom to Anjali and Simone. Jim and Cindy have been married for 37 years and have raised their wonderful family in Chester Springs. In 2020, Jim reflected on his relationship with Cindy, “My beautiful bride. Lady Lucinda is more than beautiful…. I can hardly believe my good fortune… Many nights as we turn out the light, I look at those smiling eyes, and say from the heart, ‘Thanks for sharing your life with me. I hope the good outweighs the bad.’" Unfortunately, Cindy is starting to experience kidney failure and recently started dialysis. She is feeling all of the negative effects that come along with dialysis treatment and is in need of a kidney. Family and friends have not yet yielded a match. “In the past when I’d hear about somebody needing a kidney,” said Jim, “I’d pray, and think, ‘I hope they find a donor.’ Frankly, it never occurred to me that that person could be ME. As if donor heroes came from some strange place ‘over there’… YOU or someone you know can be the one. In fact, it HAS to be you.”