Archie’s Kidney Transplant is Scheduled!

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On March 13th the toughest little soldier was born, my nephew Archie Siemer. Archie was delivered at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati with the help of their incredible team. Though he was born much stronger than anticipated, he still has quite the fight ahead of him.

During their 20-week checkup, Archie's parents, Austin and Francesca, learned that their sweet boy had only one kidney and that it was cystic and non functioning. This caused a lack of amniotic fluid, which is necessary for babies' lungs to develop.

As you can imagine, this news was heart-wrenching to learn. But Archie was blessed with a support system who is never going to lose hope in his strength! Austin and Francesca immediately made the decision to do everything within their power to help Archie get stronger and continue to grow.

In early December, Archie’s mamma had surgery to receive an amnio port. This device allowed weekly amnio infusions for the remainder of her pregnancy. Daddy held her hand through every ultrasound, and his big brother Aiden cheered him on from the sidelines.

Flash forward to March 13th, when all of our prayers were answered: The infusions worked! Archie was born with strong lungs with minimal assistance from oxygen.

Archie had surgery on day two of his life to insert several ports/catheters for dialysis. He is currently receiving dialysis 24 hours a day and will continue to do so until he is big enough to receive an adult kidney which is typically around 2 years of age. He will remain in the hospital for approximately 4-5 months until his dialysis is regulated well enough to go home. Once home, Mom and Dad will become the full-time caregivers for Archie until he gets his transplant.

Many of you have reached out asking how to help, and for that, we are beyond appreciative. It is so difficult to make a situation like this better, but the support of friends and family is going to be crucial as they try to navigate the road ahead. We have started this GoFundMe hoping to fund some of the medical and other expenses associated with the mountain they are going to climb. Please continue to keep Archie, Austin, Francesca and Aiden in your thoughts and prayers, and know they are truly grateful for the outpouring of support they have already received.

Thank you for being a part of Archie’s Army. We are going to win this battle with the collective support and love of those around us.

5/15/2023 UPDATE:

Two weeks ago, Archie’s doctors successfully repaired the many hernias he was suffering from, and placed a gtube to make sure he gets adequate nutrition/all of his meds for the duration of this journey towards his kidney transplant.

Archie had to return to hemodialysis for the past two weeks while his abdomen healed, which meant very minimal cuddles or consolation during most hours of the day for our sweet solider. While on hemodialysis he was unable to be held, and his doses took between 16-18 hours to complete.

Needless to say it has been a tough few weeks for Archie, Mom & Dad.

We are so grateful to you for your continued prayers and support.

5/2/2025 UPDATE:

The pivotal moment has arrived: Archie's kidney transplant is scheduled! After immense effort from Archie and his dedicated team, it feels almost unbelievable to say surgery is imminent. So many selfless individuals stepped forward for testing, and his ideal match was confirmed just weeks ago.

Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for the extraordinary soul donating her kidney—for the significant time and effort already invested in testing, and for the life-saving act yet to come. She is, without a doubt, a true hero.

To ensure Archie's utmost safety in the critical period leading up to and following surgery, Austin and Francesca are now in strict quarantine at home. This isolation is paramount as Archie will be on the highest level of anti-rejection medication, profoundly suppressing his immune system.

Consequently, the previous network of caretakers can no longer provide physical assistance. Austin and Francesca initially hoped to manage their full-time jobs while alternating Archie's care, but the demands of this intense isolation have quickly proven unsustainable. A necessary reduction in their external workload is crucial, allowing them to focus entirely on Archie's care during this vital phase of his treatment.

If you'd like to support Archie and his family during this critical time, any contribution, big or small, would be deeply appreciated. Your generosity can help ease the financial burden of reduced income and increased medical expenses.

We are so grateful to you for your continued prayers and support.