Support for Mia's Kidney Transplant

This is Mia. She is 10 years old and has been an active competitive cheerleader and gymnast. That is up until two weeks ago, when during a routine wellness visit, her life took a sudden turn.

My sister, Kim, was concerned and asked her provider to investigate the cause of bruising on Mia’s legs.

The pediatrician ordered a complete lab workup and advised he would contact her with any abnormal findings. The following day, she received a call to instruct her to immediately take Mia to the emergency department because her kidney function was overly concerning.

After running numerous labs and by process of elimination, Mia’s care team has diagnosed her with chronic kidney disease. The days to follow have consisted of labs, a kidney biopsy, blood transfusions, dietary restrictions, and starting a medication regimen to assist with kidney failure.

Mia has end-stage renal disease and as a result, her kidneys are functioning at 15%. Preliminary pathology showed Glomerulopathy with immature glomeruli. Per pathology, this is suggestive of an inherited kidney disorder.

Mia will need a kidney transplant. We have started moving forward to begin this process.

The time from start to finish for a kidney transplant can vary greatly, depending on the circumstances. Mia has to undergo kidney recipient evaluation and then we wait for a donor.

Several friends have asked what they can do to help.

I am launching this GoFundMe to raise $20,000 so she can take the much-needed time off to focus solely on the recovery and well-being of her child. I am seeking additional support as her job does not have benefits that would allow her to take short-term leave to care for Mia. There is a great need to fill in the gap caused by loss of wages as she must take time off from work to care for Mia during this crisis.

Kim needs to focus on Mia’s health without the constant pressure and worry of maintaining her household. With the assistance of friends and family, we will create a safe mental place to rest her worrying mind, allow her main focus to remain on Mia’s recovery, and reduce the stress over how to keep her going financially.

This fund will help cover:

• Living expenses while she takes time off work for medical appointments for Mia’s chronic illness and recovery from kidney transplant

• Medical expenses not fully covered by insurance

• Supplemental therapies for strength, nutrition, and mental well-being

Thank you in advance for your much-needed support.

If your child is safe and healthy today, hold them a little tighter. "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up" - John Holmes