Former NBA player Nate Robinson says he needs to find a kidney donor soon as he battles life-threatening disease
Former NBA star Nate Robinson, who was diagnosed with kidney disease 18 years ago, said he knows he will die if he doesn't find a kidney donor soon.
Former NBA star Nate Robinson, who was diagnosed with kidney disease 18 years ago, said he knows he will die if he doesn't find a kidney donor soon.
"I gotta stick around. I want to stay alive for the next 40 years: be a grandpa, see my kids’ kids, take them to the gym, tell them the stories of when I was in the NBA around 'Bron and Kob' and all these guys," he told Men's Health magazine in an interview that published Tuesday. "I gotta fight for it."
Robinson's kidneys have been functioning at less than 15% of their optimal capacity, according to the magazine. He said that some days after he gets dialysis, a procedure to remove waste and excess fluid from the blood after the kidneys stop working properly, he gets body cramps and shortness of breath and experiences violent vomiting.
On days when he feels good after treatment, he trains at the gym and spends time with his children. He said having a routine has helped him get out of what he calls "the dark place."
"I was so angry in the beginning," he told the publication. "I was so mean."
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