PARSIPPANY — Local resident Nick Sauter has been a pillar of the community for countless years and has touched the lives of so many as a former vice principal, athletic director, teacher, football and track coach at Passaic Valley High School.
As an active member of St. Agnes Episcopal Church in Little Falls, he’s been a member of the vestry, and was involved with the church’s food pantry for many years. He’s helped countless local families who are struggling to get the assistance they need.
A graduate of Passaic Valley High School in 1973 and Rutgers University in 1977, Sauter discovered he was in need of a kidney last year, according to his sister-in-law Donna Tissot. Nick continues to suffer from end stage renal failure, also known as end stage kidney disease, and is in need of a living kidney donor to undergo kidney transplant.
When Nick’s story was first published in May 2017, he was already receiving dialysis three times a week, but in the meantime Nick developed a blood infection that traveled to his 21 year old knee replacement. Due to the infection, Nick had to sustain two additional surgeries on his knee this past year and his hopes for a kidney was put on hold. Nick went through three months of physical therapy along with his dialysis. With these ongoing challenges, his sister-in-law Donna Tissot says, “Nick tries to stay positive through his good and bad days”. For those who are dependent on dialysis, life is grim and challenging and time is of the essence to find a healthy living kidney donor in order to go through transplantation.
Anyone who might be interested in being a donor, or knows of someone who would like to be a donor, please contact Parsippany resident Donna Tissot at (973) 714-7016 who will provide additional information and connect you with the transplant coordinator. In the meantime, the appropriate links and forms have been included:
Saint Barnabas Medical Center Living Donor Referral Form, click here.
Saint Barnabas Medical Center The Living Donor Institute, click here.
As Nick’s blood type is A-, interested donors can also be type A-, as well as O, A+ and O+.
However, in addition to blood type there are other ways to determine if someone is a match so please do not let your blood type deter you from thoughts of being a donor.
The family is still hopeful that by continuing to get the word out they will soon find a match for Nick so he can once again lead a normal life and enjoy watching his family grow.
Nick and his family are very thankful for the outpouring of love and support and thank you from the bottom of their hearts.
