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Sergeant diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney failure looking for donor

120 views · Published 22 May 2018 · 2:11 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2018 · News & Politics

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COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – Jay Schmitt is about enter his 34th year with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. 

During that time, Schmitt has spent 24 years teaching kids the importance of staying away from drugs and alcohol through the dare program. 

These days, Schmitt and his wife are educating people about the need for kidney donors.

“One person can change somebody’s whole life,” said Jay Schmitt.

Schmitt has been diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney disease. He says he’s always had it but it became serious last year and now he needs a transplant.

“The support is fabulous from people I don’t know and people we do know, friends and family are going down and even coworkers that are going down for me,” said Jay Schmitt.

Schmitt’s blood type is O. That’s where the testing starts, to help you must first be a blood type match.

“I swore that I would have been the perfect match and when they told me I wasn’t even the right blood type it just threw me for a loop,” said Jay’s wife Terry. “It kind of really upset me a little bit because I was hoping that I would be the one and we wouldn’t have to go this far in the process. “

Schmitt will soon be on the national transplant registry but right now they’re hoping for a direct match and a gift from someone to share their spare. However, Terry says this has really been a calling for them to advocate for all who are in need of a transplant.

“If you don’t have the right blood type for Jay there are so many other people out there that need a kidney and they would love a donor,” said Terry.

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