Kidney Transplant Patient Stories

Ruth Powell meets Joshua Warren of Altoona, Iowa after she donated her kidney.

Alex went in for a routine physical in 2009, not expecting to find anything wrong. The results were shocking. He was diagnosed with pediatric nephronophthisis, a serious kidney disorder, and immediately began dialysis. Due to the severity of his illness, Alex needed a kidney transplant, which he received in November 2009.

When he was 8 months old, Shawn-Brooklyn contracted bacterial meningitis, an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord. Three days after he was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at his local hospital, his kidneys failed and he needed dialysis. Since UI Stead Family Children's Hospital is the only facility in Iowa that offers pediatric dialysis, he came to UI Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Brandi’s life changed forever in October 2006; it started with a bloody nose that just wouldn’t stop. When her parents took her to the local hospital’s emergency room, her blood pressure was dangerously high and her kidneys had shut down. Air-lifted to UI Stead Family Children's Hospital, the only facility in Iowa that has a dedicated pediatric dialysis center, she began dialysis.

Trae Hamilton’s kidney donor also happens to be his dad. See Trae's story here.

An update on Trae Hamilton's March 2009 kidney transplant, which was donated by his father. The surgeries were performed at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.