An hour from death’s door, little did Theo Alano know that a stranger’s unexpected kindness would save his life From being a platform for spreading misinformation and hate to bringing bullying closer to home, the various negative aspects of social media have taken over the headlines in recent memory. But, for everything that can be said about it, social media at its core remains a tool for good. Theo Alano was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)—the last step of complete kidney failure—and needed an urgent kidney transplant.
However, without any donors available, and quite literally an hour from death’s door, he turned to social media for help. Little did he know that a stranger’s unexpected kindness would save his life. READ : How Waves For Water shares the gift of clean, potable water to the most vulnerable Alano, based in New York City, is a Filipino American freelance creative director who has previously worked with fashion brands Jimmy Choo and Ralph Lauren.
In October 2022, Alano was brought to the hospital because of a case of internal bleeding that was so severe that he required five blood transfusions . However, it was during that visit that it was discovered he also had ESRD. In March 2023, his affliction reached its worst when he was admitted to the ICU and was estimated to be an hour away from organ failure.
“I was immediately put on dialysis—a grueling three days a week, four hours each session,” shares Alano. “When I found ou.
