Dad's kidney gives Abigail the chance for a better life
Lisa and her husband, David, were looking forward to the birth of their twin girls. Nine weeks before Lisa was due to give birth, baby Emma's heart stopped beating, necessitating an emergency C-section to save the life of the other twin, Abigail.
At birth Abigail had less than five percent normal kidney function. After nine days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of an area hospital she was transferred to Children's Memorial Hospital's NICU, where she could receive the most advanced care. Immediately upon admission she underwent x-ray, echocardiogram and ultrasound tests. “There was a line of technicians stretching right out into the hallway,” says Lisa. “It was amazing.”
During her three months in the NICU, Abigail was treated for a number of conditions. She underwent a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation to close a structure in her heart that was causing blood to flow backwards into her lungs. She was also treated for cholestasis, a condition in which excretion of bile from the liver is blocked. She had trouble drinking fluids and underwent speech therapy to learn to eat and drink properly. Finally, Abigail was released on Valentine's Day, though it was clear that she would need a kidney transplant to provide her with the best hope for leading a normal life. Her father volunteered to donate one of his kidneys, and 15 months later surgeons at Children's Memorial's Siragusa Transplantation Center successful transplanted the organ. Today Abigail is leading the life of a healthy toddler. Her mother says she loves dancing to rock music and is crazy about butterflies and flowers. “Before her transplant we worried that she might only be with us for a week or a month,” says Lisa. “Now we think about her future and marvel that she'll live a long life.”
Children's Memorial Hospital seeks philanthropic funding to enhance its programs and services. As a proud partner of the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), all funds raised in the Chicago area through CMN also benefit Children's Memorial. To find out how your support can help the hospital better serve children and families, please contact the Children's Memorial Foundation at 773.880.4237 or Foundation@childrensmemorial.org.