Jason Parlo, a 31-year-old township resident living along Linwood Street in the eastern portion of Salisbury Township, needs an organ donor who could provide him with the gift of life - a new kidney to restore him to good health and an enhanced quality of life.

Jason's mom, Mary Kay, and dad, John, are walking billboards attesting to their love and concern for their son. They wear T-shirts saying, "Got Kidney? Donor needed for son." On the reverse side of the shirt is Mary Kay's cell phone number with a 'call me for more info' request. Jason Parlo's T-shirt says simply, "I need a Kidney Donor." Their fondest hope is the heart of someone who sees the shirts would be stirred, and a miracle could lead to a donor match that could end Parlo's daily need for eight to nine hours of home dialysis as he is hooked to a machine while he sleeps each night.

But the family's hope is not tied to just the T-shirt plea. Parlo is registered with Hershey Medical Center's donor match registry and he's nearing the end of the long evaluation process to put him on a waiting list possibly leading to the critical phone call to set in motion a dash to Hershey and a transplant operation to replace his ailing kidneys.

Even though the statistical wait is three years, the life-changing call could come at any time, indicating a living donor match has been found, or the healthy kidneys of a deceased person could provide the organs Parlo needs.

The problem came out of nowhere 13 years ago, when a routine physical required for Parlo to participate in a Special Olympics bowling program found microscopic blood particles in his urine. "If not for that physical, it could have taken years for the kidney insufficiency to become apparent," Mary Kay said.

What followed was 13 years of periodic blood work and visits to a kidney specialist who kept tabs on the thinning walls of Parlo's kidneys.

Parlo had one of his periodic blood draws Dec. 21, 2012. On Christmas Eve morning a call from the doctor to the Parlo household gave the bad news tests showed deterioration in kidney function. The insufficiency progressed rapidly and the filtration rate of Parlo's kidneys deteriorated. He was headed for renal failure. What followed was intensive training for Jason, and mom and dad, to prepare for daily home dialysis.

"The protocol is meticulous," Mary Kay said, "cleanliness and an antiseptic environment are key to successful use of the home dialysis equipment." The finished basement of the Parlo household is piled high with stockpiled supplies of dialysis chemicals and cleaning and anti-bacterial solutions.

Three bags of chemicals and supplemental dialysis machine connection equipment are consumed each night for the eight- to nine-hour procedure.

During the day, Parlo enjoys the opportunity to get out of the house and interact with fellow employees at the Trexlertown Walmart where he assembles bicycles, furniture, outdoor grills and other items. In the evening, though, the renal failure is apparent in Parlo's lack of energy.

An article in the Salisbury Press 13 years ago, when he was a Salisbury High School Student of the Week pick, described Parlo as a positive, upbeat person who was industrious, punctual, organized and friendly, and who school administrators described as "a joy to be around." Feedback from those Parlo comes into daily contact with show the same character traits have followed him into his adult life.

Mary Kay said the T-shirt messages and a Facebook page detailing Parlo's plight are just something extra the family can do to help nudge the long process along.

Anyone seeking more information on Parlo's journey can log on to Facebook and type in "Find a Kidney for Jason Parlo." By "liking" and sharing the Facebook page," Mary Kay said, "you can help in our search for that special donor."

Or call the cell phone number listed on the back of Mary Kay's T-shirt: 610-703-7009. She'll be glad to hear from you.