New Bedford Man Desperately Seeking Kidney Donation

Carlos and June Riquinha have been a couple since they met at the age of 14. He had entered a talent show at the Jireh Swift School on Lund's Corner New Bedford. June was in the audience with her grandmother the first time she saw him. They got married as soon as they turned 18.

Carlos entered the landscaping industry in the 1980s and has been working at it ever since, although his work drifted away from the field and into the office more as he progressed through the years.

About a year and a half ago, Carlos was diagnosed with kidney failure. In order to live, he would need to go on kidney dialysis immediately. The treatment can be brutal and isn't a sustainable solution for the rest of his life.

"We're in dire straits right now," June said. "We need a kidney."

The donor can either be someone who is alive and well or someone who decided to become an organ donor upon their death. Carlos is on the waiting list for a new kidney at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. The problem is that the list is roughly five to eight years long. Unfortunately, time is of the essence.

"We're probably looking at two to three years where hopefully he gets a kidney, or we'll be looking at a whole different story," June said.

"I feel like my job is to get the word out," she said. "I need to get people to the donor website."

To find out more about donating a kidney to Carlos, you can visit livingdonortufts.org. You can reach out to June before visiting the site to get all of the information you'll need about Carlos. Her number is (774) 202-3953.

"I just keep promoting it," June said. "I'm not going to give up. We've been married for 42 years. I refuse to give up."