A Port Washington family is urgently seeking a living kidney donor for a longtime resident, local business owner and grandfather whose health has sharply declined after years of living with end-stage renal disease.
Joe Spagna, 68, a lifelong Port Washington resident and former owner of Orlando’s Deli in Manhasset, has been on dialysis for nearly four years.
His daughter, Ariana Spagna, said the treatment has become increasingly difficult for him and has led to repeated hospitalizations over the past year.
“Dialysis is keeping him going, but it’s so physically taxing,” she said. “His health has been declining, and the only real way he can get off dialysis is with a living donor kidney transplant.”
Joe’s blood type is B positive, and Ariana said she hopes sharing that detail might help identify someone who could be a match. She and her brother, however, are not eligible donors.
The Spagna family has lived in Port Washington for generations.
Joe’s children attended the Port Washington School District from pre-K through high school, and the family remains active at St. Peter of Alcantara Roman Catholic Church.
Over the years, Joe became a familiar face in the community, both through his deli and as a longtime resident and father.
“He’s a family man, a hard worker, compassionate,” Ariana said. “Everybody who meets him remembers him. He’s just a great guy.”
In a written message Joe shared on his website, he described the emotional difficulty of asking for help — and the urgency behind it.
“I never thought I’d be writing something like this,” he said. “Three years ago, I was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. Dialysis is keeping me going, but it’s so physically taxing on my body. My health has reached the point where I now need a kidney transplant as soon as possible.”
Joe said he wants more time with the people who matter most to him.
“I am a husband, father, and new grandfather of two. I want to be here to watch them grow up,” he wrote. “A living kidney donor could give me that chance, a second chance at life, love, and time with the people who mean everything to me.”
He is currently on the New York State Kidney Transplant List, which includes more than 100,000 patients. The average wait time for a viable kidney is five to seven years.
“Sometimes life asks us to lean on the kindness of others,” he wrote. “Even if you aren’t able to donate, your prayers, love, and support mean the world.”
To help reach potential donors, Ariana created a website, AKidneyForJoe.com, to share her father’s story and provide information for those who may want to be tested as donors.
Anyone interested in learning more about living kidney donation, or inquiring about Joe Spagna’s case, can visit the website.
