EARLIER THIS YEAR, TheJournal.ie paid a visit to four-year-old Myles Jordan, who’d recently got his second kidney removed.
Myles was born with a rare disease that meant a filter on his kidneys did not function correctly. He was put on a waiting list for a new kidney earlier this year.
Luckily, a generous donor close to home was found to be eligible to donate their kidney and now, around eight weeks on, Myles has a “new lease of life” according to his father, Sasha.
Congenital disorder
Myles was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome and spent the first year of his life in Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
His condition required both of his kidneys to be removed – one at four months old and the other just before Christmas last year.
The family, who live in Ashbourne, Co Meath, feared that he could be waiting up to 18 months for a new kidney.
Before he got the transplant, he was limited to a water intake of just 156ml a day, was fed through a tube and underwent nightly dialysis at his home.
Both of his parents – Sasha and Eavan – have more than one artery connected to their kidney, making surgery too risky.
“Massive turnaround”
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Sasha said that it was his brother, and Myles’ uncle Lewis, who was found to be eligible to donate his kidney to Myles in late-September.
“We got the call on the Wednesday that he was eligible, and the operation was done the following Monday,” Sasha said.
Both Myles and Lewis are doing well post-op and, in the young boy’s case, getting a kidney has transformed his life.
His father said: “He’s doing really well. He doesn’t have the food restrictions, the water restrictions or the dialysis every night. They’re gradually reducing his medications.
It’s a massive turnaround. He’s gotten a new lease of life.
“He used to be hooked up to dialysis in bed from six in the evening to seven in the morning. The difference has been amazing.”
Yesterday, Myles had his pre-Christmas check-up and Sasha said that his son couldn’t be more excited ahead of Santa’s visit this weekend.
Speaking on the importance of organ donation, he added: “It’s so very important to see how if affects the people involved. My brother bounced back without any real side effects, and Myles is doing so well.”
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