A former Kofa band member is in need of a kidney

Tonight the Kofa band boosters are hosting a fundraiser at Lute’s Casino to help Stephen Montague, who is suffering from a failing kidney.

Montague found out when he was 18 that he only had one kidney and just a little over a year later he has now been on the waiting list for a transplant for a month.

“They ran him through all these tests and unfortunately he was placed on a list as of April 11 this year.” said Alton Montague, Stephen’s father.

Stephen’s father wants to see his son live a full life and says that his son has aspirations to become a chef. However, he said talking about his son’s condition can be difficult.

“A lot of times it’s hard to talk about it because I get really emotional.” said Montague. “His kidney percentage or function from last year it was 24 percent and its gone down to 12 percent. So you know again it’s just hoping that he won’t have to go on dialysis.”

The Kofa King is looking for a donor that is O-negative and around 19 years old.

The Kofa Band Boosters said that when they heard the news they met with his family. Now, they are jumping into action to help, just like Stephen has done for them since graduating in 2016.

“Stephen represents the heart and the soul of Kofa band, of all our kids.” said Shelly Hook, Kofa band booster.

The Boosters said that Stephen deserves a fighting chance and talked about the adversity that Stephen has faced.

“Besides his illness he lost his mother this past December. That was very very hard on him. Now he’s having to battle a very serious health condition. So, we just feel like it’s even more reason to kick-start his fundraising and help him as best as we can to get better.” said Pilar Dominguez, Kofa Band Boosters Treasurer.

Stephen’s dad Alton said that his son’s spirits are up.

If you are interested and willing to donate a kidney to Stephen, you can contact his father Alton Montague at (928) 750-5107.

You can also donate to Stephen’s YouCaring account, if you cannot make it to Lute’s Casino tonight from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.