Sudbury family begins desperate search for kidney

It’s a parent's worst nightmare. Your child is sick but the solution, for the moment, is out of reach.

19-year-old Patrick is dealing with renal failure with only 9 per cent use of his single kidney. He and his family are looking for a kidney donor. (Supplied/Donna Stewart)This is how Donna and Palmer Stewart spent their holidays. Their 19-year-old son Patrick is dealing with renal failure. He only is getting 9 per cent use of his single kidney.

“Patrick was born with one functioning kidney,” said Donna.

“He had been followed by SickKids all his life. Essentially five years ago he was hit with an auto-immune disease, it’s an inflammation of the blood vessels. As a result of that sickness, the autoimmune disease attacked his good-functioning kidney.”

The parents told CTV News that unfortunately, Patrick’s kidney function started to decline in 2018.

“In January 2020 he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and since then his kidney function has declined, so much so, Patrick will be undergoing surgery mid-January,” said Donna.

“(He will be) undergoing dialysis in February.”

For the Stewarts, particularly Donna, it has meant constant doctor visits, trips for blood work and a postponement of Patrick’s studies and apprenticeship.

“We thought the road was long prior to this but it’s definitely uh… there’s a long road ahead and thankfully he’s got lots of supports,” said Patrick’s stepfather Palmer.

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“His blood work, I cringe every time he goes for blood work, he does blood work once a month,” said Donna.

“I cringe every time we get the results because things have not been good as of late.”

She said the last 3 or 4 months doctors told them there is no hope now with his significant decline in kidney function.

“I’m definitely fearful he’s only at 9 per cent at this point,” said Donna.

“We need to start dialysis and we need to find that kidney.”

Patrick was not up for the interview and while the situation he faces, given his circumstances, is rare – he did say he is by no means alone.

The list for organ donation from a deceased donor is long. According to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, many are waiting 3-5 years.

“We need more people to consider living donation, I would say transplants when they happen, happen really well,” said Craig Lindsay with the Kidney Foundation.

“(There is) cutting edge world-class care here in Ontario, we just need a greater supply of organs.”

Lindsay said organ transplants are by no means a cure, but with new research, people are living longer than ever and it is giving patients new leases on life.

He’s hoping people in Ontario will take the time to find out whether they are registered by going to beadonor.ca.

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In the meantime, Donna has enrolled herself in the paired exchange program in hopes of increasing her son’s chances on the living donor list.

The parents said all of Patrick’s immediate family have turned out to be not a match.

“He really needs this organ donation, a kidney donation to be able to move forward in life otherwise his quality of life will not be what we hope it to be for him, lots of life to live, lots to give,” said Donna.

“He currently has a partner, they’ve been together for 15 months, he has lots of friends that are very supportive, he has some extended family that are supportive as well, he has all of us rooting for him, it’s just a matter of making sure that he can live life successfully.”

Those interested in learning more about living donations or in being assessed as a possible donor for Patrick can contact the Living Donor Program at London Health Sciences Centre.

A family still holding out hope as they enter the new year, taking it day by day.