MONTZ — After seeing the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Jason Triche decided he wanted to go into law enforcement.

He joined the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office in 2002 on a mission to serve.

On Aug. 16, 2012, Triche and other St. John Parish deputies were ambushed in a mobile home park. Deputies Jeremy Triche and Brandon Nielsen were killed, and Deputies Michael Scott Boyington and Jason Triche were wounded by gunfire that took place throughout LaPlace.

Jason Triche has undergone more than 29 surgeries since being shot in the back, saying today he is still not 100 percent back to the way he was.

Today, Triche is in need of a kidney transplant. He undergoes dialysis three days a week as he waits for a new kidney.

“I go Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 3 to 6 p.m.,” Triche said. “Dialysis cleans my blood because my kidney can’t clean anymore. It’s not functioning properly so it can’t clean the toxins out of the blood. They put two needles in me and the machine recycles my blood through the filter.”

Spending three hours, three days a week in treatment is time consuming, Triche said, adding it can take away his sense of freedom being attached to the machine.

Right now Triche only has one kidney working and it’s not functioning properly.

“It’s low functioning,” he said. “It’s only functioning at like 2 percent. It makes me feel weak and tired all the time. At this time, I am on long-term disability from the Sheriff’s Office. I’m trying to push through as best that I can. I hope to be able to go back to work at the Sheriff’s Office again.”

Triche was just recently put on a waiting list for a new kidney.

“They say it might take three to five years for a kidney to come through unless someone donates one to me,” Triche said. “It makes me feel down and out. I have to keep going to dialysis until I can get a kidney transplant.”

In an effort to find Triche a kidney, his sister, Chasity Triche-Armstrong, posted a plea for assistance on social media.

“She made a post on Facebook saying that I needed a kidney, I’m not sure of the exact number of people that responded but I know quite a few have called,” he said. “There are three people right now taking blood tests to see if I’m a match with them. I’m pretty excited and very happy.”

Triche said his medical experiences have changed his view on life.

At first things were dark, but being on the kidney transplant list and knowing some in the community are checking to see if they are a kidney match have made things appear brighter.

Triche-Armstrong said she made the post asking for a kidney for her brother two weeks ago.

“I woke up at 3 in the morning with it on my heart,” she said. “I don’t even know how I wrote the words because I was still half asleep. They just came flowing out, which I believe was God trying to use me to try to put the message out there to get him some help.”

The response to her post, according to Triche-Armstrong, has been amazing.

“There have been a lot of shares, and we had 35 people say they would call,” she said. “The response made me feel awesome, because I pray every day for him. I hoped I would be a match but I didn’t have the right blood type, but it made me feel good that there are so many people out there that are so giving and kind.”

Because the tests to see if someone is a match are expensive, they can only test three people at a time, the family said.

One of the individuals being tested now is a family member with the same blood type as Triche.

The other two being tested are friends of the family.

“We’re hoping to hear something within the month,” Triche-Armstrong said. “If there is a match, he can have his transplant in five months. My brother was an amazing police officer. He did his job with pride and he loved to help people. He is the most humble person I know. He is a hero in everybody’s eyes, but to me, he is the strongest person I have ever known.”

Those interested in helping can contact Brandy Saucheux with Ochsner Main Campus at 504-842-3925.