New Market toddler in need of kidney transplant

NEW MARKET, Tenn. (WATE) - A Jefferson County family hopes you're a match for a toddler in need of a kidney transplant.

Lucas Jones, 23 months, has been on kidney dialysis the last year and doctors recently added his name to the transplant list. The Jones family is now taking to social media hoping to cast a wide net of potential donors.

"For everything that he's gone through, he is just so amazing,"

said Lucas's mom, Tara Jones.

They're camping this week in Gatlinburg and packed in their suitcase is a dialysis machine.

"We're really limited on what we can do,"

said Jones.

Lucas goes through dialysis every night for nine hours. He was born with multicystic displastic kidneys, a defect that forms while in the womb.

"One of them didn't function at all. The other functioned at about 15-percent at birth,"

added Jones.

From the minute the family has gotten Lucas on dialysis, they said they've been preparing for a kidney transplant. Jones says they were added in early May.

"We're trying to get a living kidney donor because we don't know how long he'll be on the transplant list and we want him to get it as soon as possible because it's keeping him from being able to walk. He's weak and he's just now started rolling and he's just about to be two years old,"

said Jones.

Jones says babies on that list usually wait anywhere from three to six months, which is why they hope someone in East Tennessee is a match.

"It's a lot for somebody to do that and, you know, I just admire somebody's generosity to do that,"

said Jones.

While they wait for the gift of life they're already planning a post-surgery vacation.

"I think our first thing that we can actually do as a family is go to the beach and it'd be great to be able to let him in the water,"

she said.

Jones says doctors have suggested potential donors have blood type O, be younger than 50 years old, and have a BMI less than 35. Once someone applies, it takes time with all the lab work. If you would like to apply, you can fill out the form here , making sure to note your donating for Lucas Jones.

The little boy's mom adds he'll likely have to have a number of kidney transplants throughout his life simply because he's so young.