NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- James Castro is awaiting a hero, but if sharing his story helps someone else finds his or her hero instead, he feels he's done his duty.
If you attend a Tides' game at Harbor Park or many other sporting events, you've likely seen his work. Castro directs the video production at the ballpark, along with a handful of other contests in Hampton Roads.
"I almost act like a fan sometimes," James smiled. "I'm actually watching this team play and I'm getting paid for it."
Castro has been with the Tides for more than 25 years. In February of 2020, while working an event at Old Dominion, he realized something wasn't right.
"I would walk from point A to point B, maybe 10 feet and it would feel like I was walking 10 miles," he recalled. "It was just really that bad."
James wasted no time seeking medical attention. After doctors ran a series of tests, they delivered the life-changing news.
"First off, my kidneys were failing," he said. "Second thing I remember him saying is if I came in two weeks later, and then I don't remember anything after that."
The diagnosis was chronic kidney disease and heart failure. Castro also battles type 2 diabetes. He would need a kidney transplant and in the meantime, would need to undergo a rigorous dialysis regiment.
"6:30 baseball game, we get about 8:30, 9:00," he said. "I set up my machine, that takes half an hour, and I'm on it until six in the morning."
"He doesn't just show up, he shows up and he's ready," added Tides' assistant general manager Mike Watkins. "He shows up and he's ready, he's enthusiastic, he's leading our camera team to put on a great product and I can't say enough about what he does for us on a daily basis knowing that he was going through that."
For the last three and a half years, he's been undergoing dialysis at his home every night for at least eight hours. Castro has only missed one treatment during that time span when he was hospitalized. Through it all, he has worked to remain positive and not sink into negativity.
"I'm not much of an optimist, but I have to be in this case," he noted. "I can't waste my energy being negative about this. I can only think of what's to be."
Through all the ups and downs, Castro still has gotten to do the thing he loves- be part of that Harbor Park atmosphere, showing up for work every night during the baseball season.
"Helping people out in the world of video production, it's something that I enjoy doing," he pointed out. "It keeps my thoughts on that instead of my kidneys."
"To know what he goes through on a daily basis just to be here and to be a part of what we're doing at Harbor Park is tremendous," added Watkins.
James continues to await a kidney donor and is on the donor waiting list at one hospital. He has an interview next month in hopes of getting on another waiting list and is hopeful that home-run breakthrough is coming soon.
"I know one day, I know I'll get that transplant," he smiled. "That's the day I'm looking forward to."
He knows his hero is out there, just like they are for that nearly 100,000 people waiting like James.
"There are hundreds of thousands of people like me who are probably in as bad or worse shape than I am," Castro said. "It just takes on person to step up."
To learn more about James, his story and how you can help, click here.
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