Pahrump family seeks living kidney donor for two-year-old Mason

The Burke family of Pahrump is asking the community to consider living kidney donation for their two-year-old son, Mason, who was diagnosed with Renal Dysplasia at five months and now lives with stage 4 chronic kidney disease. Parents Shannen and Billy Burke said they are working with Stanford Children’s Health and are hoping a living donor can give Mason a longer, healthier life.

“We are looking for a living kidney donor for our son, Mason,” Shannen Burke said. She outlined the medical course Mason has faced since infancy: “We found out Mason had Renal Dysplasia when he was five months old. He gets labs done at least monthly and will have those for the rest of his life. He has been on daily medication since he was five months old and those will only multiply post-transplant.”

Mason is described by the family as a “bright, bubbly, happy” two-year-old who shares the Burke household with older brothers Benjamin and Logan. A family photograph credited to Berklee D Photography and labeled “The Burke family/Special to the Pahrump Valley Times” shows the three boys together, listed from top to bottom as Mason, Benjamin and Logan.

The Burkes emphasize the medical advantages of living donation as they pursue a transplant through Stanford Children’s Health. The family is seeking a living donor because living donation can provide a shorter wait time and a better match with longer-lasting transplant success, improving outcomes for pediatric patients facing chronic kidney disease.

The family’s social-media appeal frames the ask in personal, hopeful terms: “We are looking for a living donor kidney to not just survive, but to thrive. A matching kidney will give him new life for years to come,” the Burke family wrote in a Facebook post excerpt shared with local media.

Mason’s care currently requires monthly laboratory monitoring and daily medications that began at five months of age. The Burkes said medication needs will increase after any transplant, underscoring the lifelong nature of pediatric kidney care and the importance of finding a well-matched donor. The family has not published specific donor-eligibility details, blood type information, or a transplant timeline in public posts.

Stanford Children’s Health is the hospital partner named by the Burkes; questions about the donor-evaluation process, listing status, or logistical support for living donors should be directed to the hospital by prospective donors or through verified family contacts. The Pahrump Valley Times carried the initial local report and is the outlet currently handling the family’s media materials; contact information for the Burkes has not been published in the materials available to this reporter.

Photo credits for published family images read Berklee D Photography and The Burke family/Special to the Pahrump Valley Times. Those who wish to help or seek verified contact details are advised to reach out to local health providers or to the Pahrump Valley Times for guidance on how to connect with the Burke family and Stanford Children’s Health about living-donor possibilities.