Former New York Jets center and seven-time Pro Bowler Nick Mangold has announced he is in urgent need of a kidney transplant and is publicly appealing for a donor.
In a statement released through the Jets organization, Mangold revealed that his kidney failure is due to a genetic defect he was diagnosed with in 2006, the same year he was drafted. The chronic kidney disease has now progressed to the point where he is undergoing dialysis.
“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” Mangold stated.
He explained that since none of his family members are able to donate, he is reaching out to the “NY Jets community” and the public for help. He is searching for a living donor with type O blood.
Prospective donors are directed to visit the Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s kidney transplant website at columbiasurgery.org/kidney-transplant. On the site, they should click the link “I WANT TO DONATE MY KIDNEY” and provide Mangold’s full name, Nicholas Mangold, and his date of birth, January 13, 1984, to determine if they are a match.
“I am deeply grateful to anyone that would consider donating,” he added.
Mangold, a first-round draft pick, was a cornerstone of the Jets’ offensive line for 11 seasons. He retired after the 2016 season and was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2022.
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