STATUS:
Received! Living Kidney Donation 10/24/24 UCSD
Byron Houston enlisted in 1997 in the US Marine Corps serving for five years in Communications as a radio operator and spent time at Camp Pendleton, CA and Camp Fuji, Japan. After his discharge in 2001, Byron worked as a car salesman until 2005 and enlisted in the National Guard for four years, also serving as a radio operator. He spent time helping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and was activated and stationed at the southern border for 14 months. He was medically discharged in 2010 due to his battle with diabetes, plus the downsizing of the military.
Bryon studied at Grantham University in Kansas City receiving an associate degree in criminal justice and then a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies. He has managed a Rent-A-Center and been a DoD/Federal police officer guarding bases including Naval Base San Diego and Naval Weapons Base Fallbrook. He also was a dispatcher, performed maintenance, and worked in the IT department at the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton before he was medically retired, due to his kidney failure, in 2022.
Byron met his wife Audrey while in the Marine Corp and have been married for 24 years. They have a 21-year-old son serving in the Marine Corps, and are still raising their 13-year-old daughter. Byron was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure at the beginning of 2022 and has been reliant on dialysis since June of that year. He enjoys working around the house, but his water intake restrictions keep him from doing as much as he would like. Byron's desire is to “start doing life again,” to go on vacation anywhere, and he already has his sights on a big trip for his and Audrey’s 25th wedding anniversary! Will you help this young man get back to living a life without medical restrictions by sharing his story or consider becoming his kidney donor? At 45 and with the gift of a new kidney, Byron would love to go back to work and be there for his family, both financially and emotionally.
Byron has enlisted the help of a Veteran's organization called DOVE Transplant which is helping in his outreach to find his life-saving kidney donor. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery.
A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save this Veteran's life! Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call 551-233-1611.
Byron Houston
USMC Veteran