Man Needs A Kidney To Keep Serving The Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An Upper East Side man whose music has brought joy to others in tough times now needs his neighbors' help as he faces a crisis of his own.

Charlie Allenson, 69, has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 20 years. In that time, he's worked as a volunteer music therapist at Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, using his guitar to bring some levity to the lives of psychiatric and cancer patients.

"I'm a believer in giving of oneself, of helping others," Allenson said. "That seems to be in my DNA."

Just over three years ago, however, test results during a routine physical revealed that Allenson had under-functioning kidneys. After months of declining function, he discovered his condition was far worse than he'd known: he had Stage 3 kidney disease.

Allenson can't explain the diagnosis, which more typically accompanies diabetes or heart disease — neither of which he has. In any case, he knows what it means: he will soon need to begin dialysis, a physically and emotionally draining process that cannot always lengthen patients' lifespans by much.

Unless, that is, someone gives him a new kidney.

Allenson, who is married and has a daughter, a stepson and two grandchildren, has no viable donors in his family. So he has begun a campaign to find one, asking anyone open to donating one of their two kidneys to get in touch.

Allenson lays out his good deeds as evidence for why he deserves a few more years of life. His music at the hospitals, for which he was honored as "New Yorker of the Week" by NY1 in 2016. His yearslong advocacy against gun violence, which began after his niece, Becca, was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend in 2015.

"I have a lot more music to give to cancer patients," he said. "And there are a lot of lives to be saved by working to prevent gun violence."

Then there's the simplest reason: "to live and grow old" with his family.

Allenson asks anyone open to learning more to register for screening through Weill Cornell — a process that is confidential and does not include any commitment. People can also make a kidney donation in his name to someone else, which would give Allenson a "voucher" allowing him to move up the transplant list.

"It's a numbers game," he said. "The more people hear about my story, the greater the chances of me finding a donor."

To learn more, visit charlieneedsakidney.org.