James Quevedo is a family man. A husband, father of six and one of 10 siblings – he understands the value of family.
And it is that family that might be able to save his life.
Quevedo has faced struggles with diabetes and high blood pressure for years, but now he has an even bigger fight – kidney disease.
“I never thought that I was going to go through this,” Quevedo said. “It’s too quick to go through what I am going through right now. I didn’t expect this.”
Quevedo is in stage five kidney failure, and he will need a kidney transplant to survive. The father of six young children was shocked when he found out last month but explained he tries to remain positive.
After all, he does have nine siblings who stepped up and will see if they can donate. If Quevedo was put on a transplant waiting list, it could take years for him to receive a kidney.
“What really hurt me the most was that I was on stage five,” Quevedo said. “That put me down a lot.”
Since Quevedo was 13-years-old, he has fought diabetes. Four years ago he found out he was struggling with high blood pressure as well. Then last year, doctors told him his kidneys were beginning to fail. Knowing kidney failure was possible didn’t change his shock because he didn’t think it would happen this soon and at 34-years-old.
But he continued to get up and go to work every morning as a sales manager at ZK Express and noticed he wasn’t able to do as much as he used to. He gets tired quicker and notices swelling in his feet.
‘Their world revolves around their dad. I can’t sit next to him on the couch because they’ll butt in. I can’t hold his hand because they get mad. Before he heads to work if I give him a kiss, they want a kiss too. It just can’t be me.’
Idali Quevedo
Wife of James Quevedo
Quevedo said he is a family man, and always tries to help those in need. He told the News-Sun he only wants to see his kids, James Jr., 12, Justin, 11, Jonathan, 10, Jamely, six, and Jaydy and Jaylynn, both four, grow up.
“I want to be there,” Quevedo said. “What I am trying to do is to get that transplant so I can get back to how I was, to my normal life.”
Married for 12 years, Idali Quevedo, Quevedo’s wife said she was shocked when they found out about Quevedo’s condition, and it hit too close to home.
“My mom had kidney failure as well, and she was on dialysis for almost five years until she passed away,” Idali Quevedo said. “When I found out about him I just felt like the same thing was going to repeat itself all over again.”
His wife explained his children adore their father, especially their three girls.
“Their world revolves around their dad,” Idali Quevedo said. “I can’t sit next to him on the couch because they’ll butt in. I can’t hold his hand because they get mad. Before he heads to work if I give him a kiss, they want a kiss too. It just can’t be me.”
Quevedo also has a close relationship with his sons. They playing video games together, he coached his son’s football team for a period of time and tries to be involved with his kids as much as he can.
Although the kids don’t fully understand what is going on, they have noticed Quevedo is unable to do as much. Now Idali Quevedo explained she just wants a second chance for her husband.
“It’s a second chance for him to live (the kidney transplant),” Idali Quevedo said. “It’s like a second chance for him to enjoy his kids more. Because right now he can not keep up with his kids, in other words. With him getting a transplant and getting a second chance as this life, he would be able to keep up with his kids.”
Something else that is important to Quevedo is helping others. Idali Quevedo said her husband has helped those in need for years, whether it be a car broken down on the side of the road or someone who needs a place to stay.
“That’s what he likes to do, he likes to help a lot of people,” Idali Quevedo said.
Kyle Caudill was one of those people he helped, and now he thinks of Quevedo as his best friend and would do anything for him. He explained Quevedo barely new him when he opened his home to Caudill.
“He is an amazing person,” Caudill said. “He is just a one-of-a-kind person.”
Caudill said he was heartbroken when he found out that Quevedo was sick but he would go and get tested himself and give a kidney if needed.
“I would be glad to give him my kidney,” Caudill said. “He is a wonderful friend, a wonderful father, he’s just genuine. Everybody needs help now and then and if anybody needs help and really really needs it, it would be him.”
Caudill said Quevedo is a hardworking father and a “rare breed” and has always helped those in need, now Quevedo needs the help.
The cost of an operation like a kidney transplant is expensive.
Quevedo explained they are still working with the insurance to find out what will be fully covered.
“The insurance only covers so much,” Quevedo said. “It will cover for me, for my operation but it won’t cover for the other person that is going to donate.”
Last week the family put up a GoFundMe page to compensate some of the cost that the family will face to save Quevedo’s life.
The family is looking for $10,000 to go toward the cost of travel, food, medical expenses, child care and bills. Quevedo said following the surgery he will be out of work for six to eight weeks.
To donate go to gofundme.com/f/helpjames-and-family-with-kidney-transplant.
