One week before Christmas, someone stole a Utah boy's medication that was supposed to be used to save his life. Cody Taylor, the boy's father, eagerly sought to replace it in time for his son.
Supply Of Medicine Stolen From Home Porch
One day, Cody Taylor was expecting to find a package of his son's medication delivered and sitting just as usual on the front porch of his family home.
He never had a problem before, he said, with the delivery of his son's supply of medication but this week, he encountered his first. Apparently, the package was taken away without permission from the family home's porch, leaving Taylor worried about what he should do next.
Medication For Kidney
The stolen package costs $5000 and was a 3-month supply of medication for Taylor's 4-year-old son, Austin.
Austin was suffering from a stage five kidney failure since he was born and, two years ago, had to undergo a kidney transplant. After the successful transplant, he was required to take medicine so that his system would not discard the kidney he received.
The transplant relieved Taylor and his family from their worries because they knew that Austin was not in a kidney failure anymore and that meant he could live longer than expected.
Doctors weren't sure how long Austin would survive with his condition but speculated that he would have a 25 percent chance of living just three months.
Taylor Gets New Supply
Despite what had happened, Taylor managed to replace the stolen package with a new supply covered by his insurance company. Fortunately, he has been receiving an overwhelming support from the community.
"You don't know who you're hurting by your actions. It could range from ruining someone's Christmas to threatening someone's life. You just never know," said Taylor.
A company named The Porch Locker donated a lockbox to Taylor and his family so that he could safely receive deliveries of Austin's supply of medicine.
Kidney Failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidney gradually loses its ability to function. Kidney failures are divided into one that develops rapidly and another that are long term.
According to the American Kidney Fund, kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States. It was estimated that around 31 million American adults, or 10 percent of the total U.S. adult population, have chronic kidney disease.
What's more, 9 out of 10 people who have stage three chronic kidney disease do not even know that they have it.
