Tampa Palms Family Praying For Kidney Donor

Raj Guntuku is suffering from kidney failure, and his family is desperately seeking a donor so he can return to his normal life of chasing his dog Benji around. (Photos provide by the Guntuku family)

Raj Guntuku is like many 13-year-old boys — always smiling, always moving, whether he’s dancing, shooting hoops, playing video games or chasing Benji, his 70-pound Golden Doodle, around the house.

He is a second-degree blackbelt in karate, which he has been practicing since he was only 5. He loves watching videos to learn tricks like juggling and dice stacking to show his family. And, he can solve a Rubik’s Cube in mere seconds (16, to be exact).

However, unlike many 13-year-old boys, Raj’s kidneys are failing him. In October, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is characterized by the gradual loss of kidney function. Doctors say Raj is in Stage 5, and his kidneys are now operating at less than 10-percent of normal function and will not recover.

His family has turned to social media, as well as their Buckingham neighborhood in Tampa Palms, to help find a transplant donor — going door-to-door and handing out flyers asking for help. If there is an available live kidney donor out there for Raj, his dad Nehru, mom Radha and sister Bhavika are intent on finding them.

“It’s four people, but one of us has to be with him, so we spread out as much as we can, house to house, ringing door bells,” Radha says. 

More than 90,000 people nationwide are on a waiting list for a kidney donor. Raj is on the waiting list at Tampa General Hospital, where he receives dialysis on Mondays and Fridays, and sometimes on Wednesdays if his body requires it.

In a short span, Raj — or Bunny to his family and close friends — went from a kid with boundless energy to one visibly struggling with an undetected illness.

In early September, he vomited upon waking up, which his parents attributed to returning to a school schedule after a summer of sleeping in.

But then, it happened again a few weeks later, and then another time after that. For a moment, Radha says she feared Raj had contracted Covid.

It was discovered that Raj had lost 8 pounds since his last visit in March to the pediatrician, but everyone in the family had lost weight during Covid because they hadn’t been eating out. His doctor thought it might be a stomach flu, and Raj was put on a stricter diet heavy on liquids.

It didn’t help. His doctor ran some blood tests, and did not like the results, Radha says. 

“They were way off,” she says.

However, another test confirmed the numbers and, after a visit to Tampa General Hospital for more testing, it was determined on Oct. 7 that his kidneys were not working and that he needed dialysis immediately.

Two days after his first dialysis treatment, Raj had a seizure. While watching television, he had suddenly frozen, biting his lip so hard it began bleeding. The doctor said the seizure was caused by his low sodium levels, so an additional dialysis on Wednesdays was added to his Monday and Friday routine.

He also developed a serious rash around the catheter in his chest, another cause for concern for his family, due to fear of infection. Raj wears socks on his hands and sleeps in between his parents, who each hold one of his hands so he doesn’t scratch the area. 

“I can’t imagine all this has happened in less than (a few) months,” Radha said. “It’s crazy. Even if he coughs, or if he yawns, everyone looks around like, is he okay? It’s like living in fear. Nothing is normal.”

Raj’s parents, who are both software engineers, cannot donate their kidneys due to other health issues. Bhavika, who is 17 and a senior at King High, isn’t old enough to donate one of hers (you need to be 21).

So, Raj and his family pray that a living match can be found. While a kidney from a deceased donor is still an option, those tend to be less reliable compared to those from living donors, which are healthier and usually function immediately, as opposed to taking days or even weeks to begin functioning on their own.

The longer the lifespan and healthier the kidney, the better for Raj, who will almost certainly need another transplant in 15-20 years.

“He will have to undergo the process again, so if a transplant can last for at least 20 years, he can get back to his normal life,” Radha says.

A normal life that includes sports, dancing and chasing Benji around the house, like a regular 13-year-old. While not a day goes by that she doesn’t worry, Radha says her boy has another trait shared by many 13-year-old boys.

He is fearless.

“I did not expect it out of him, to be honest,” she says. “I am really really surprised how he is able to take all this. When I go to the hospital I am more scared and more tense, and he is doing much better than me or my husband. But, everyone is praying for him. And I think the prayers are what are making him be strong.”

The kidney donor for Raj must have O+ or O- blood, be between the age of 21-49 and not be diabetic or have any known kidney issues. Visit tgh.org/services/transplant/kidney-transplant/living-kidney-donor-program for more information. 

If you know someone or would like to help, call (813) 748-7235 or (813) 995-4815.

Why I’m The ‘Logical’ Choice To Be The Next ‘Jeopardy!’ Host!

Alex Trebek (photo: @Jeopardy)

Those of us who have appreciated really hard trivia for the last 37 years are likely still mourning the Nov 8 passing of long-time “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek.

Trebek somehow lived two full years following his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, something of a feat in itself (although I’m no doctor, I have known several people who only lived a few months after receiving their diagnoses, depending upon the stage), but he was still taping his 37th season of “Jeopardy!” episodes up until a few weeks before he passed.

Trebek is a role model for not only every game show host, but also for a certain news magazine editor who auditioned to be on the greatest game show of all time (but didn’t make it) — twice — and who had what I’m hoping is a unique exchange of words with the late “Jeopardy!” host.

But First: A Little Background..

Gary Nager, Jeopardy host?

I don’t remember what age I was when I first was flipping through my seven original TV channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS and the New York independent stations — Channels 5, 9 and 11) and saw the late, also great Art Fleming hosting the original “Jeopardy!,” which also featured the dulcet tones of announcer Don Pardo.

All I knew was that, as a youngster, I had finally found a place to unleash my truly “encyclopedic” knowledge of…well, as close to everything as I could get (which wasn’t very close, but still) — almost all of which was gleaned not so much from school, but from reading every individual letter edition and every year’s Year Book (beginning around 1963) from our World Book Encyclopedia set. Imagine me as a little smarter version of Joey on “Friends” who loved that my parents purchased more than just the letter “V” for us.

Most of my close friends were smarter and did better in school than I did, but I knew I was pretty good at writing and great at “Jeopardy!” I also knew that someday, I would get on the show, win some money and impress the producers enough to have them grooming me to replace Fleming — who couldn’t last forever, could he?

And, even though Fleming’s first run with the show ended when producer Merv Griffin’s original “Jeopardy!” was shut down in Jan. 1975, Fleming was brought back for a couple of other revivals of the show, which again ended in 1979. In 1984, Trebek’s first year as the host of the new syndicated version of “Jeopardy!,” I flew out to Los Angeles to audition for the show I knew I could win. “All I have to do is study up on some British royalty and classical music and I’ll dominate,” I kept telling myself.

Well, that trip from NYC to Hollywood didn’t have a Hollywood ending for me. At the 20-question test the producers give you during their regular L.A. “talent searches,” I felt pretty good about myself. All of the questions would have been $800 or $1,000 questions at that time (those were the highest amounts during “Double Jeopardy” back then), and I was happy to get 15 of 20 correct. 

I totally had no idea about a European history question that had to do with Prussia or another about a Pope from the Middle Ages, and I only got one wrong I really thought I had correct…in the (gulp) Sports category (my best back then) about a baseball pitcher from the Old Negro Leagues who wasn’t named Satchel Paige (I think I said Don Newcombe). My 15 out of 20 correct missed by one to qualify me to get to play a mock version of the game. I think they selected 18 of about 120 people to do that. 

Two or three years later, “Jeopardy” brought its talent search to Manhattan’s renowned Radio City Music Hall, where 400 or so people came to audition and they were going to limit the selection to only 50 or so people to advance to that mock game round.

This time, I got 16 of 20 questions correct but felt that the questions had something of a gender bias. Of the four $800 & $1,000 questions I missed, one was in the “Female Poets” category (of course, it couldn’t be Emily Dickinson), one was “Women in History” (and not Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Amelia Earhardt or Golda Meir) and one was about tapestry making. Oh, and one that I got right was “Female Olympians” (Wilma Rudolph).

I knew, as soon as they said it took 17 correct answers to be called on stage that I hadn’t made it — and I was pissed. I called out to that super smooth, somewhat smug guy announcing those who had advanced “Yo, Alex.” To my surprise, he looked right at me and said, “Yes?” 

“Ummm, do you notice anything similar about most of the people (more than 3/4 of which were women 40 & older, an apparently desired demo for the show) on stage? While other people yelled “Sour grapes,” all Trebek said was, “Better luck next time.” I don’t think I said, “I’ll have your job someday,” but I know I thought it.

So, even though I was never a contestant, much less a champ (like current interim host Ken Jennings) — really, who deserves the gig more?

I’m just kidding. I admired Alex Trebek a lot and wish that I could have done what he did, but no one will ever be able to truly replace him.  

New Tampa Aldi Is Under Way

The likelihood of a transformation at the old Sweetbay isn’t the only new thing coming to New Tampa.

In fact, The Walk at Highwoods Preserve area located right across the street Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the former Sweetbay may be a busy corner in the coming new year.

The busy area already has added three new restaurants — Oronzo Honest Italian (see story on pages 26-27), Michi Ramen and Gu Wei — and an F45 Fitness center this year. It also has seen big box electronics giant Best Buy and home furnishings chain Pier 1 Imports close up shop, potentially giving way to future new tenants.

And, additional Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. businesses — the former Starbucks and Jimmy John’s sub shop — are being prepped for new tenants.

And yes, construction has finally begun on the new Aldi grocery store on the southwest corner of Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. and BBD.

On Nov. 23, crews began tearing down the old Ruby Tuesday restaurant. By Thanksgiving, the 2.36-acre lot, purchased by Leon Capital Group in 2018 for $2.82 million, was mainly home to a mangled mess of metal and concrete.

The Aldi was approved back in January. It will be 19,160 square feet — almost four times the size of Ruby Tuesday — with 106 parking spaces.

Developers of the popular German discount chain also are adding a sidewalk for pedestrians and those who use the bus stop at the same corner. 

There is still no word about when, or if, the once-planned $5-million renovation of the AMC Theater at Highwoods Preserve is happening. 

Unfortunately, the movie industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In October, AMC warned investors that it could run out of cash by the end of the year. Around the same time, Regal Cinemas shut down all its theaters.

FOR WHOM THE (TACO)BELL TOLLS: Well, it’s official — according to City of Tampa permitting records, the Circle K at the corner of  Doña Michelle Dr. and BBD is expanding, and that expansion will eliminate the Taco Bell and Shell-branded gas station currently attached to it.

Circle K Stores, Inc., which had a pre-application consultation in August looking to redevelop the existing Shell gas station to become a larger Circle K gas station, is going ahead with those plans.

A site plan submitted Nov. 24 shows the current convenience store expanding to a 5,187-sq.-ft. store.

The Taco Bell is being replaced in by five parking spots and a sitting area, as well as a second proposed entrance/ exit behind the convenience store. The canopy over the gas pumps also will bear the Circle K logo.

The AMC Theater, which had to postpone a major renovation project after being been hit hard by Covid-19, and the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant, which will be replaced by Aldi, also are on the east side on BBD.

Sweet! New Tenant Looking At Old Sweetbay

We’re happy to tell you that the one-time Sweetbay Supermarket in New Tampa, closed and abandoned for nearly eight years, is finally on the brink of a much-needed transformation.

Located right across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the AMC movie theater and next to Home Depot, the property the building sits on is currently under contract and, if things proceed as planned, a new tenant will begin the process of moving in by early 2021.

Who that new tenant will be, and what kind of business might be headed for the long-empty building, however, was still a mystery at our press time.

“I can tell you it has been under contract, but I can’t tell you who,” says John Neukamm, the attorney for KNK Tampa, Ltd., the California-based owners of the building. “Hopefully, within the next few months, you will see some changes up there.”

Neukamm wouldn’t give any hints about what kind of business might be filling the vacant building, which has more than 30,000 square feet of space.

It won’t be a bowling alley, which he confirmed after we jokingly took a wild guess, and Neukamm says it is unlikely to be another grocery-type store, considering that Sprouts just opened a little north of the location and an Aldi has begun construction directly across the street. 

“I think the neighborhood will be happy,” he says. 

Neukamm also says he is confident the buyer will be putting some “major renovations” into the project.

It will definitely need it.

The Sweetbay building closed in 2013 and since then, has been unoccupied while its parking lot has gone through various stages of disrepair, overflowing at times with tractor-trailers and parked storage trucks while also serving as a dumping ground for people getting rid of old furniture and appliances.

Tampa District 7 City Council member Luis Viera and his predecessor Lisa Montelione sicked code enforcement on the property’s lease-holder multiple times over the years.

“It has been a long road for New Tampa with this property,” Viera says.  “Its inactive status has caused many challenges for New Tampa and I am happy that it is under contract and look forward to seeing what comes in here. The fact that this is under contract by itself is a good step for our New Tampa community, as this has been a problem site.”

The property currently is worth $1.5 million, according to Hillsborough County property records. KNK Tampa, Ltd. bought it in 2001 and leased it to Kash n’ Karry for a 20-year term beginning in November of that year.

Kash n’ Karry operated under the lease until June 14, 2006, when its Belgian parent company Delhaize America, Inc., converted it into a Sweetbay.  

But, despite its rebranding, Sweetbay could not compete with nearby Publix or Walmart. When Delhaize announced it would be closing 22 stores in the Tampa Bay area, its New Tampa location was part of that group.

In October of 2013, Jacksonville-based Bi-Lo Holdings, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, paid $265 million for 72 Sweetbay stores, plus the leases to 10 other underperforming Sweetbay supermarkets that had already been closed. One of those leases belonged to the New Tampa location, which had six years remaining on it, but Bi-Lo Holdings declined to do anything with the property other than pay the rent.

Finally, it’s time for something new.

“Probably, by early next year, it will all be coming out; it will be obvious what is going on,” Neukamm says. “It is going to be an asset for the neighborhood.”

We asked our readers on our Neighborhood News Facebook page what they would like to see in the space currently occupied by the old Sweetbay, and they responded.

Some responded jokingly (we assume), by suggesting New Tampa could really use a giant Starbucks (hardy har har, Brandon Maldonado) or a combination pizza, burger, and self-storage facility (also real funny, Richard W. King).

Others were emphatic, with ALL CAPS!!!! (We get it, Chris King, you want a Trader Joe’s and as you said) “NOTHING ELSE IS ACCEPTABLE!!”

King, however, spoke for the most of those who responded. In fact, our readers really, really, really want a Trader Joe’s, even with Publix, Sprouts and soon-to-be Aldi all within walking distance. And, how much do people love their trendy grocery stores? Lucky’s Market, Fresh Market and Whole Foods also all received some votes.

Those other markets didn’t receive as much love, however, as Total Wine & More, which wasn’t too far behind Trader Joe’s when it came to our readers.

You want food and drink, clearly — although a good many folks also want something to do — and we concur! A bowling alley, roller skating rink and indoor go-kart place all received votes, although we were disappointed to see no one suggest a Dave & Busters (JCC) or a live music venue (GN).

Kevin Waters: I would love a Wright’s Deli somewhere in New Tampa/WC. Driving to S. Tampa is too far.

Pam Smith: Go carts, Fresh Market, Armature Works-like venue, Indoor small business venue

Diane Kelly Payne: Quaker Steak & Lube, outdoor music stage, car shows, etc…a fun place to go

Tara Fritsch Schmidt: Luekens Liquors or Trader Joe’s.

Donna Billie: A regular skating rink…not ice.

Lucy Meyer: Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market or Total Wine!

Dannieal Cooper: Indoor go-carts and arcade. Well kept with food and beverages

Kim Channels: A bowling alley or Spaghetti Warehouse

Geraldine Gomez: Kohl’s, Total Wine, PF Chang’s or Trader Joe’s!!! No more storage units!

Armando Rivera: Is a Medieval Brothel a possibility…asking for a friend.

Christie Frederick: A really good seafood restaurant. (There are) none around New Tampa

Doug Smith: A micro brewery!

Nagesh Nayak: Raquetball Court.

Barry Doupnik: Anything!! It’s a dump and an eyesore.

Tim N Catia Notarpietro: Planet Fitness! We need one up here!

Gina Arkell Tim Stokes: Just not another gym.

Richard Spencer: Bowling & arcade. Or trampoline park.

Nicolette Marie: Lucky’s Market!

Ivant Liberty: Cabela’s

Here are some of the other suggestions we received: 

This is how the Crumbl Cookies

As only the third location in Florida, the new location of Crumbl Cookies, next to Zukku-San Sushi, brings unique, delicious and yes, somewhat crumbly, cookies and more to the Wesley Chapel area.

This growing franchise, with 128 locations in 27 states, offers a new variety of flavors every week and so far, we’re trying hard not to become addicted to them. But, with amazing new cookie and “Crumbl Cream” ice cream flavors rotating in and out every week, I can’t be held responsible for what happens when you try them.

The first day the store opened earlier this month, we not only tried giant versions of each of the four opening-week flavors — peanut butter, churro, chocolate chip and double chocolate — we found them to be so delicious and different that we decided to also bring a variety of the store’s “Crumbl Minis” to our granddaughter Rosie’s first birthday party — and yes, they were a big hit. 

The peanut butter cookies are loaded with warm, gooey peanut butter, and the original chocolate chip cookies are packed with tons of equally melty chips. Our favorites, though, were the awesome frosted options — the double chocolate and the churro cookies (truly one of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted), and all of the Crumbls are slightly crisp outside but super-soft inside. 

In other words, I’m not sure I agree with the name of the place, but these cookies are truly decadent, no matter whether they really “crumbl’ or not. 

The day we went to press, I also got to sample our Crumbl Cookies store’s salted caramel ice cream, which also comes in a variety of delicious-sounding flavors like Buckeye brownie,  muddy buddy, raspberry cheesecake and many more.

Crumbl Cookies (25922 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz) is open every day except Sunday. For more info, call (813) 445-6552 or visit CrumblCookies.com and please tell them I sent you! — GN