Domingo Bermudez hopes his next kidney transplant will be better than his last.

In 1997, the 39-year-old Hermitage man had a kidney-pancreas transplant because of complications from diabetes. The regimen of anti-rejection medication left him legally blind.

"Between 1 and 3 percent of diabetes patients who get a kidney-pancreas transplant have some kind of reaction," Bermudez said.

On top of that, his new kidney lasted only three years. In 2000 it "gave up" and he had to go back on dialysis.

Bermudez is waiting for a new kidney. In the meantime, his family will hold a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Billy's Black and Gold in Sharon to help defray the costs of the future operation.

Bermudez's wife, Annette, said the dinner will raise money for costs not covered by insurance, including airline tickets and lodging for the donor. A kidney donor can expect to lose three weeks to a month of work or school in order to recover.

"They will give me the gift of life. I don't expect them to pay for it," Bermudez said.

A nephew in California was tested as a possible donor, but because he has high blood pressure, he was not an ideal candidate. Since then, two other nephews, who live in Florida, have volunteered to be tested, Mrs. Bermudez said. The donor from Bermudez's first transplant was a cadaver.

Bermudez is also on Cleveland Clinic's transplant list. The average wait is three to five years.

Bermudez used to work as a respiratory therapist and has coached soccer at the YMCA for 12 years. But after his first transplant at Ohio State University in Columbus, his vision began to blur. His doctors told him his vision would get better, but it didn't.

"Now I can't do some of the things I was able to do before," he said.

Despite his loss of sight, Bermudez continues to keep himself active. He still coaches 12-year-old son Domenic's soccer team. The Bermudezes also have a 7-year-old daughter, Rena. Bermudez said he wants to raise the public's awareness about organ donation.

"A lot of people die waiting for organs," he said. "People can give the opportunity to leave them behind for other people."

He also pointed out that people who choose to donate a kidney can go on to live healthy lives. "Some people are born with only one kidney and live a full life," he said. "You can do a lot for another human being."

Tickets for the dinner are $7 for adults and $4 for children. Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased in advance from Mary Masotto, Mrs. Bermudez's mother, by calling (724) 981-8999. A Chinese auction will also be at the dinner.