CLEARLAKE OAKS — Charles West, 40, of Clearlake Oaks wants to have a family. He wants to fish, ride a quad and go gold mining. But these days he can barely do anything. Before he got sick, he was working on an electrical engineering degree.
“I”m holding off on marrying my girlfriend and having a family,” West said. ” I used to love to drive. Now I really struggle. I have no energy. I can”t do yard work or even cook dinner half the time.”
He has been on dialysis for more than a year and he needs a kidney transplant immediately.
His kidneys weakened as a result of medication he took for diabetes. A virus further compounded his troubles with his kidneys, he said Tuesday.
West is in need and he is hoping someone in his community can help.
“Getting a kidney would mean everything to me,” he said. “It would give me my life back.”
Some people might recognize West. He worked as a traveling butcher for Safeway in Lakeport, Clearlake Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits, Napa, Santa Rosa and Healdsburg, for many years. His family has lived in Lake County for more than 20 years.
To obtain information about West and the transplant process call Sharon Stencel at U.C. Davis, Sacramento at 916-734-3295 or 800-821-9912. Mention his full name, Charles West, leave an address and an information packet will be mailed to those interested.
