Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik announced some big news on Monday, and he was not joking despite it being April 1st.
Zanik revealed that he is set to undergo a kidney transplant on Tuesday. The 49-year-old Jazz executive has been dealing with kidney failure and was informed in September he had about 14 percent use of his kidneys left. Zanik sought a transplant and was able to get someone to donate a kidney so that he could move up the transplant list.
Though the good news is that Zanik is set to undergo a transplant, which should extend his life, it’s not all positive news for the Zanik family.
Zanik’s children were all tested, and it was found that all three of the kids (ages 16, 14 and 12) have the same genetic condition Zanik and Zanik’s father have. The condition is called Polycystic Kidney Disease. The children were informed they are likely to need transplants before the age of 30.
Zanik talked about the situation for a video that was released by the team on Monday:
The Utah Jazz send our full support to Jazz GM Justin Zanik as he takes the next step in his treatment plan for polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
Learn more about his journey. pic.twitter.com/YzO5dxVKxt
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 1, 2024
