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Some Heroes Don't Wear Capes
Over the years the House has welcomed thousands of families who have come to the area to provide their seriously ill child with the exceptional care offered at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital of the Stanford Medical Center.
Jonathan's Story
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Jonathan has a rare genetic disorder that brought his kidney function to a halt while he was still in utero. Two days after he was born, his parents, Tamara and Ryan, were told he wouldn’t make it. Yet, he continued to survive and underwent surgery to have his kidneys removed at one-month old. Following the procedure, Jonathan began receiving dialysis treatments. However, toxins still built up in his body and his hearing began to fail. The family feared the loss would be permanent. |
The only treatment for Jonathan’s condition was a kidney transplant. Luckily, both parents were a match. Since he would be receiving an adult kidney, Jonathan had to grow big enough to accept the organ. He remained on dialysis for an entire year before he was finally ready. Doctors performed a successful transplant between Tamara and Jonathan, and after being released from the hospital the pair recovered at Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.
“Without the Ronald McDonald House we would not have been able to travel to Northern California to obtain the best possible care for our son. The staff and accommodations really helped us make a stressful time less difficult.”
Only weeks after their surgeries, the family was released to return home. Jonathan will continue various therapies and will need to visit Stanford every three months for biopsies to ensure his new kidney continues to work well. But his condition has improved so much, his hearing has started to come back!
The cover of each of the House newsletters also features a House family story. Click here to read more.
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