Greenwich Mother Searching For Organ Donor To Help Son Diagnosed With Kidney Failure: 'It's Urgent'

GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich resident Nick Navarrete had just figured out what he wanted to do with his life when his plans were turned upside down.

Growing up, Navarrete attended Parkway School, Central Middle School and then the Academy of Information and Technology in Stamford, where he graduated a few years ago.

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He has always loved building things with his hands and can fix whatever is put in front of him.

After working locally for a couple of years, Navarrete decided to become an electrician. In January 2025, he began attending Lincoln Technical Institute, the trade school in Stratford, eager to begin an electrician apprenticeship.

But he started to experience blurry vision, so he went to an eye doctor who immediately sent him to the Emergency Room.

Navarrete's blood pressure was soaring, and blood was detected in his eyes. He was admitted to Greenwich Hospital, where he stayed for 10 days, including three days in the Intensive Care Unit.

Since Navarrete was an otherwise healthy 23-year-old, he hadn't been to the doctor besides quick checkups for sports during high school.

After running blood tests and taking a biopsy, Navarrete was diagnosed around May 2025 with late-stage 4 kidney disease caused by glomerulonephritis, which is the inflammation of the tiny filters in the kidneys, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

Now, Navarrete, at age 25, needs a new kidney, and his mother is trying to find a donor, and the need is urgent.

"His life is pretty diminished. That's the hardest thing to see as a mom," Ruth Anapol told Patch in a phone interview this week.

"At 25, that's when you're just starting your life and figuring out what you want to do and be. He can't really work as an apprentice because that's full-time, on your feet, out in the field. I'm proud of him because he just goes forward. He's waiting and hoping to find a donor so his life can go on."

Anapol said her son sleeps a lot now, and his kidney function is currently below 10 percent. Peritoneal dialysis treatment is imminent.

By December 2025, Navarrete was placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant at Yale New Haven Hospital, and he's also now on the list at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

The wait time on the deceased donor list is around five to eight years, Anapol said, noting there are approximately 97,000 people on the deceased donor list at any given time.

"We're really looking for a living donor," Anapol said, noting living donor kidneys usually last much longer, which gives patients a better quality of life and more time.

However, living donations are less prevalent. Anapol's family has been disqualified as potential donors, including Navarrete's 27-year-old sister, Laura, who lives in Hawaii.

Navarrete has type O blood and needs a donor with a compatible blood type.

"That makes the pool smaller and finding an exact match harder," Anapol said.

Anapol and Navarrete have connected with the National Kidney Registry (NKR), which is conveniently based in Greenwich and helps facilitate living-donor kidney transplants in the United States.

Navarrete's page with NKR can be viewed here. Potential donors are able to register and view donor options

"A kidney transplant would give me the opportunity to move beyond dialysis and move forward with my life," Navarrete wrote on his NKR profile page. "I'm sharing my story in the hope that it reaches someone who may be willing to help me move toward a healthier future and continue pursuing the hopes and dreams I have for my life."

NKR says it works with a network of approved hospital-based transplant centers, including Yale New Haven Transplantation Center, as well as centers spanning 35 states and Washington, D.C. These centers can participate in a variety of living donation programs.

Through NKR, a donor can give a kidney on a patient's behalf, and the patient would receive a compatible kidney from another living donor through a paired exchange or the Voucher Program, which helps more people receive transplants faster and with better outcomes.

Donor testing and surgery costs are covered, and NKR's Donor Shield program may also help with expenses such as travel, lodging, and lost wages. Living donors are carefully screened, according to NKR.

Navarrete is also registered with Renewal, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based organization that also helps people with chronic kidney disease find living donors and navigate the kidney transplant process.

A kidney donor swabbing event was held last month in partnership with Renewal at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford. Anapol said 18 people were swabbed to see if they could be matches, and she's awaiting results.

Sonia Malloy, the owner of Splurge in Greenwich where Anapol works, has also helped spread the word about Navarrete and his situation.

On Oct. 25, Anapol's brother, Thomas, is spearheading a walk in Philadelphia, Pa. to raise awareness for Navarrete and money for the National Kidney Foundation.

"It makes me feel hopeful and grateful - more grateful than I can even express," Anapol said of the support from the community, her friends and family.

She hopes a donor can come forward and give her son the gift of life so he can enjoy hiking again and hanging out with his friends. He also wants to travel and date, and of course, become an electrician.

"Nick really deserves this chance," Anapol said, describing him as a kind and gentle person. "He wants to work and enjoy his life."

Those interested in exploring donation information can visit Navarrete's profile on the National Kidney Registry website, or email Renewal at r27099@renewal.org.