Please help Kendall with her treatment!

Until quite recently Kendall Griffeth was a typical 15-year-old. If you knew her well, you might have noticed she had lost weight and was a little pale. You probably would have assumed she was dieting and her paleness was due to staying indoors because of the pandemic. But something sinister was at work.

Because of her sudden weight loss, Kendall’s parents took her to her pediatrician. Her symptoms did not point to any particular disorder. She had no appetite, was throwing up, and complained of being cold. Tests were run, but no answer was found. When the symptoms continued, Kendall’s pediatrician sent her to a specialist in Atlanta. 

The specialist repeated bloodwork and waited for results. When they came in on Tuesday, July 11, Kendall’s parents received a terrifying call. They were to bring her to Egleston Children’s Hospital immediately. 

When Kendall and her mom arrived, a team of specialists began running tests. At first, they were told only one parent could be with Kendall, but soon her mom was told Kendall’s dad needed to join them. At this point, they feared something was terribly wrong, and they were right. 

Tests indicated Kendall’s kidneys were shutting down and fluid was gathering around her heart and lungs. Almost immediately they were told Kendall would need dialysis followed by a kidney transplant. But first, the specialists needed to figure out what was causing the problems. Several procedures were done including kidney biopsies and lung biopsies. The doctors suspected Kendall had an autoimmune disease but needed to determine which one. 

Without going into detail of all that transpired over the next 72 hours, it was finally determined Kendall has an autoimmune disease called Vasculitis. Apparently, this is rare in someone as young as Kendall and difficult to diagnose. Luckily, Kendall was diagnosed before her lungs were destroyed as well as her kidneys. 

So now what?  Kendall started dialysis on Saturday. Once she leaves the hospital, she will have to go for dialysis three days per week, three hours each visit, for the next six to twelve months before her kidney transplant. And that’s not all...

On Sunday Kendall started receiving a strong “chemo-like” treatment through an IV. While this will help stop the damage being done by the autoimmune disease, the side effects will be rough. She will be admitted to the hospital once per month for the next six months to receive treatment with the hope that six months will be enough to put the autoimmune disease into remission. 

Kendall’s family knows God is in control and trusts Him to guide the doctors as they treat her. They are so thankful that the diagnosis has been made and a plan is set. They have not asked anyone for help during this crisis, but I know the next year is going to be a struggle for the entire family. Watching a child suffer is a nightmare. I am starting this fundraiser as a means to allow others to help. Kendall has insurance, but for the next year, one parent will spend three days each week taking Kendall for dialysis while the other parent cares for younger children and takes care of everything at home. The bottom line is that the next year will be challenging. If you would like to help financially, please join us by contributing to this fund. More importantly, please pray for Kendall and her family. 

If you decide to donate, we could never thank you enough!