Norfolk man with rare genetic disease in need of a kidney

NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk man with a rare genetic disease is looking for a kidney match.

Cory LaCasse , a musician, was diagnosed with Alport syndrome six years ago after being diagnosed with diabetes. He has lost some of his hearing and eyesight as a result.

"I'm a musician so the hearing has been very difficult to absorb into my life," he wrote. "This disease runs in my family. My mother, my grandfather, and my uncle all struggled with this disease. It is hereditary."

He began dialysis this week at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, but this weekend will begin at-home dialysis. He told 13News Now that the wait time to be matched for a kidney is 5-7 years, but as a member of the National Kidney Registry, if people donate in his name, he can be pushed higher up the list to a shorter wa