San Antonio comedian Cleto Rodriguez fighting for his life against major kidney disease

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:00]An investigative reporting by Yami Virhin. Fox SA News at 9. Puro San Antonio.

[00:00:10]>> He is one of San Antonio's most recognizable comedians and a member of our very own Fox SA family. Fox SA's Yami Virhin worked with Cleto Rodriguez for years and calls him a friend.

[00:00:20]>> Tonight, she shares his emotional plea as he faces another major fight for his life. all the way from San Antonio, Texas. Give it up for Cleto Rodriguez, everyone.

[00:00:34]>> For nearly 30 years, Cleto Rodriguez has made San Antonio and audiences across the country laugh.

[00:00:44]>> Don't worry, it's in English. All right.

[00:00:48]>> But recently, the comedian says something felt wrong while performing on stage. Uh, I was on stage performing and I got laded. I was doing a mic, uh, sound check and got dizzy and was laded and um, I was trying to uh, perform, but I couldn't stand up.

[00:01:10]>> Says he pushed through one show doing something he had never done before because of how bad he was feeling.

[00:01:18]>> It was the first time ever in 30 years of my stand-up career that I've done it sitting down. Days later, he went to the emergency room and got the devastating news. Doctors told him his kidney disease had progressed to stage five >> and I was at 10% kidney function.

[00:01:36]>> Then came another shock. Cleto says doctors discovered two major blockages in his heart >> and sure enough, yeah, it showed that I had two uh blockages in my arteries and one was 95% and the other was 92. Before doctors could place stent in his heart, GTO says he had to undergo emergency dialysis.

[00:01:59]>> You're talking about one minute getting the news he got stage five and kidney disease and then the next thing they got you need you see surgery for your your heart and they go hand in hand. I'm finding out and educating myself even more so. But uh my life has taken a complete change overnight. Cleto believes much of the damage traces back to his battle with CO several years ago when he nearly lost his life after getting the virus during comedian Gabriel Egles's San Antonio tour.

[00:02:33]>> Like he's a he's a that guy's a walk-in miracle. He was not supposed to leave here. She goes, "Babe, if you didn't have this, this, or this, you look good."

[00:02:44]For a lot of us in San Antonio, Cletoto is more than just a comedian. He's also a familiar face from his longtime segments, Where's Cleto? On WI and KBB.

[00:02:57]>> I see that you don't have you only have like three badges. Oh, little lazy. All right. But this one here, look at all her badges. Like she had to staple some on >> where viewers got to know his humor and connection to the community. Now he's facing another fight. This time he needs a kidney transplant. He's going through dialysis several times a week while waiting and praying for the right donor match.

[00:03:22]>> I think the the next thing right now is um finding the right match, you know, through blood tissue and through uh transplant plant and arteries and everything. Everything has to be right on point for for it to happen. What made the biggest impression on me while talking with Cleto is that even now he has not lost his sense of humor or his faith in humanity and someone willing to save his life by becoming a living donor. I mean, my heart is I mean, I know where their heart is, and it makes me feel so good that they're willing, and there's, believe it or not, you know, there's a lot of people willing out there, but um it just it just has to meet the requirements, and that's where we're at right now, praying for that, uh that perfect match, if you will.

[00:04:08]>> Cleto says dialysis, diet changes, and the emotional toll have changed nearly every part of his life. For some reason, this is the I've always like I've always dealt with these situations through comedy, through I neglect my true feelings on on just to keep behind the mask, if you will, for some reason. But this time, it's different because there it's not a laughing matter and it's nothing to joke about.

[00:04:36]>> Still, he says support from family, friends, and complete strangers has helped him get going.

[00:04:44]>> I have a loving family. awesome friends and a great support system behind me.

[00:04:50]So, I mean, I'm I'm I'm I feel truly blessed right now.

[00:04:55]>> And through it all, Cleto says the most important thing carrying him through this fight is his faith.

[00:05:02]>> God's got more for me to do, more people to make laugh, more people to reach out to and and be an example for. He hopes his story encourages more people to learn about organ donation and help others waiting on the transplant list.

[00:05:18]>> And I guess the message here is definitely if you can reach out and you want to help somebody, there's so many people on these list that are just waiting.

[00:05:27]>> If you would like information on how to become a living donor or get tested, you can find a link on our website foxantonio.com.

[00:05:37]Jami Virhing, Fox SA.