Murfreesboro, TN (WGNS News Story) - A young man in Murfreesboro is in need of the communities help… in the form of a kidney transplant. Leaven Wilson, a former Blackman Elementary School student, is currently awaiting the process of doctors seeking the perfect kidney match for the 12-year-old. Making matters more difficult, Leaven's blood type is O+, which means the donated kidney will have to come from an O+ blood type donor.
Listen: Hear the full 13-minute interview that WGNS Radio recorded...
His father Elijah Wilson is hopeful that Leaven will be home this summer and able to begin his next school year in-person at Blackman Middle School. Leaven is currently enrolled in the Rutherford County Virtual Schools. To learn more, hear our entire 13-minute interview (above this article) with 12-year-old Leaven, his older brother Atticus and their dad Elijah Wilson.
If you would like to help the Wilson family, you are encouraged to donate funds into a special account that is organized by COTA, which stands for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association. The non-profit focuses on helping children receive not only one kidney, but 3 over a child’s lifetime.
Funds donated into Leavan’s COTA account are reserved for paying for his first transplant, followed by a second 20-years later and a third kidney transplant when he is about 52-years-old. Most people fail to realize that kidney transplant recipients typically need a new kidney every 20-years, which is the lifetime of a transplanted kidney. See the COTA website to donate by clicking HERE or visiting COTA.org/campaigns – and then type in Leavan’s Murfreesboro Zip Code of 37128. After that, a picture of Leaven will pop-up.
It has been tough on the entire family, especially on Leavan’s older brother Atticus and their dad Elijah who continue to go to school and work in Murfreesboro while Leavan receives care in Colorado. Leavan is staying with his mom, who is retired from the Air Force. She takes Leavan to therapy and to and from the Denver Children’s Hospital, where the 12-year-old will eventually receive a new kidney.
Back in Murfreesboro, Atticus is a freshman at Blackman High School and Elijah works in the parts department for Honda of Murfreesboro. Elijah said when he told his General Manager what was happening with his son, the manager’s first response was that he is there to help, even with rides to and from the airport – just let him know what was needed.
Listen to Interview - Again, hear the 13-minute interview above this article, just below the photo. The interview is with 12-year-old Leaven, his older brother Atticus, a freshman at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, and their dad Elijah Wilson who works at Honda of Murfreesboro.
