A new kidney gives Elizabeth a 'new life'
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| One year after having a kidney transplant at Loma Linda, 7-year-old Elizabeth Rangel enjoys many activities she wasn't able to when she developed nephrotic syndrome. |
To their dismay, she was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome--which can cause kidney failure--and referred to a specialist. Her nephrologist put her on medication to reduce swelling due to fluid retention. However, the medication didn't seem to be working.
Elizabeth kept retaining fluid. The little girl who had weighed 39 pounds in January weighed 60 pounds only three months later. Because of the rapid weight gain, Elizabeth lost her sense of balance. This, combined with the water retained in her feet and legs made it impossible for her to walk. She had to use a wheelchair.
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| Elizabeth )left) gets a warm hug from her sister, Sarah, who entertained and comforted her before her kidney transplant surgery. |
That same day, Elizabeth was admitted and dialyzed in the Children's Hospital intensive care unit. She was anemic, dehydrated, and (because she refused to eat much) malnourished.
Elizabeth was hospitalized for three weeks, receiving dialysis every other day.
The Rangels learned that a kidney transplant would free Elizabeth from the rigors of dialysis. Because Jaime and Elsa were both ruled out as donors, they completed the necessary forms at the Transplantation Institute to add Elizabeth to the list of people waiting for kidney donations.
After she was discharged from the Children's Hospital, Elizabeth continued to receive dialysis treatments three times a week for ten months--each treatment taking four hours. Elizabeth and her mom had to drive 45 minutes from their home in La Puente to Loma Linda for each visit.
Then, on April 24, 1997, "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day," Elsa Rangel received a call from Loma Linda University Transplantation Institute: "We have a kidney match for Elizabeth. Please come to the hospital."
"I became hysterical," says Elsa, "but my 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, was with me at work and helped to calm me down."
"I was so impressed with Sarah," continues Elsa. "She was playing games with Elizabeth and being very cheerful. She was keeping her little sister's mind off of the operation. It was not until they took Elizabeth into surgery that Sarah began to cry. She told me, 'I might never see my sister again.'"
But after Elizabeth's four-hour surgery, Sarah did see her sister again. The family was ecstatic when they were told the surgery was finished and Elizabeth had already urinated--something she hadn't done for over a year.
Today, Elizabeth is a happy, healthy second grader. Her favorite foods--oranges, watermelons, and cantaloupes--are no longer off limits because of high potassium levels. She's thankful for all the things she can do, like running and swimming, that she couldn't do before.
"We are grateful for the care we received at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital," says Elizabeth's mom. "They gave us a wonderful gift. For Elizabeth, having a new kidney is like having a new life."
The Loma Linda University Transplantation Institute has a reputation for excellence in the areas of liver, kidney, and kidney/pancreas transplantation.
At Loma Linda, candidates for organ transplantation have a network of support which includes liver and kidney specialists, surgeons, social workers, nurses, physician's assistants, and dietitians.
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