Coral Springs family holds onto faith as father of 5 awaits kidney donor
Henry Smith, a father of five and former Coral Springs youth football coach and pastor, has battled kidney failure since 2022. His family has spent the past six months searching for a donor without success.
His health worsened last year, when doctors determined he needed a kidney transplant to survive. He now faces multiple organ failure, his wife, Dominique Smith, told Local 10.
In an April 23 update posted to GoFundMe, Smith thanked those who have stood by the family through the ordeal and updated the public on her husband’s condition.
“He is still continuing his medical journey and receiving regular care from his specialists, including wound care visits several times a week. While we were hoping for faster progress, his healing has been slow and challenging, and we are still taking things day by day,” she wrote. “We are holding onto faith and staying strong for our family.”
Kidney disease happens when the two fist-sized organs stop functioning properly, making it difficult for them to filter waste and bodily fluids. Its most common causes are high blood pressure and diabetes, although various genetic conditions and other factors can play a role.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 750,000 people in the U.S. are facing kidney failure. That number is expected to reach one million by 2030. There is no medication or treatment to reverse damage, but treatments such as dialysis and organ transplants allow patients to live longer, fuller lives.
The Smith family is still looking for a living kidney donor. Candidates must be over age 18, of good physical and mental health, and have a compatible blood type (B+, B-, O+ or O-).
Free testing and screenings are available through the Smiths’ transplant team at Memorial Hospital, reachable by phone at 954-265-7450.
