South Mississippi pastor has 30 days to find a kidney donor

LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) – Thirty days: that’s the time frame doctors gave Tony Guerin to find a live kidney donor. As his family is on the hunt for a match, he said his faith helps him push forward.

“God so loved the world that He gave his only one and begotten son that whoever shall believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life,” Tony Guerin said.

John 3:16 is the verse Tony Guerin said gets him through his battle with kidney failure.

He calls Central Baptist Church his second home, and when he’s not teaching the word, he’s listening to it, sitting in the same pew every week.

Guerin has taken to a new routine since being diagnosed in July 2018.

“Going to dialysis three days a week, other doctors appointments,” he said.

Some days are rougher than others.

“I mean it’s rough seeing my daddy go through it. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl,” said Chelsea Guerin, Tony’s daughter.

Chelsea is searching far and wide for a donor with Blood Type A or O, using the hashtag #SaveMyDaddy. She’s also raising money to help the potential donor with their procedure.

“We wanted to raise money to give to them also. Not just hey, give me your kidney and we leave you high and dry,” she said.

This is not Tony’s first time fighting a serious disease.

“He is a cancer survivor, and he’s had a couple of heart attacks. He’s a diabetic,” said Louise Guerin.

“It’s in God’s hands, baby. It’s His will for my life,” Tony Guerin said.

“I don’t want to lose him, but I know he’ll be with the Lord if I do. I’m trying to convince the Lord that I need him,” Louise Guerin said.

If you’d like to donate to the Guerin family to help with expenses, visit their GoFundMe page. You can also reach Chelsea Guerin on Facebook or by phone at 228-223-6654 if you’d like more information about getting tested.