A 11-year-old boy that was on dialysis for 3 years got a new kidney thanks to her amazing teacher.
Robyn Sexton and Ward sent out emails where they said that they “Need a kidney. More accurately, Gavin needs a kidney and we hope this letter helps explains why we are asking so much of you”.
Gavin, the little boy, had a very rough start to life.
The little one was diagnosed with Stage 3 Wilm’s Tumor, a form of kidney cancer that is found in children.
He was just 3 when that happened.
During an interview with The Mirror, Robyn, the mother of the little one, said:
He had an operation to remove the tumour along with his left kidney. Then he had chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The worst thing about this is that the cancer spread out.
Scans revealed that the cancer spread out to the lungs of Gavin, which meant that he would have to get more treatment.
The thing is, Gavin finished Chemo and Radiotherapy and was in remission.
However, the joy that they had did not last that long.
The cancer returned a year after that.
Recalling the moment, Robyn said:
They discovered it near the kidney again. Doctors told us he’d need tough radiotherapy which would eventually destroy Gavin’s remaining kidney.
A couple of months into treatment, Gavin was declared cancer free again, however, another complication came up.
He went into renal failure, where his kidney stopped working.
Now at 8 years old, Gavin was placed on dialysis by his doctors.
Robyn said:
He missed out on so much. He couldn’t play sports with his friends. We’d signed him up for swimming lessons, but you’re not allowed to swim on dialysis.
Robyn and Ward knew that the lifestyle of their son would not go like this for a long time and they knew that he needed a transplant.
Gavin had to be 2 years cancer-free before he was eligible for a new kidney.
For the next few years, the routine remained the same.
Ever night before he went to bed, the man was hooked up to a dialysis machine that cleaned his blood for 10 hours.
2 years after that, he was cancer free and his parents placed him on the deceased donor list.
Robyn and Ward were tested to see if they could give Gavin one of their kidneys.
The mother was not a match, Gavin was eligible, but he had high-blood pressure so the procedure was risky.
The parents then took the matters into their own hands.
They sent out emails to their friends, family, and people with hopes of getting a match.
Ann Chiumino, a teacher and an administrator at the school of Gavin, got the email.
Talking about Ann, Robyn said:
I met up with Ann and she said she was touched by our story. She told me that donating her kidney to Gavin was something she felt she had to do. I just thought, ‘wow, this is so kind that she wants to put herself in this process’.
Ann said that she discussed her plans with her husband and 2 daughters, they were happy to go ahead.
The thing his, the pandemic paused the operation of Gavin on hold.
But the good thing is that Ann never wavered in her commitment to the family despite the long wait.
When the lockdown was lifted, she began having tests to confirm that she was match and healthy enough to donate her kidney.
In February of this year, the day of the operation came around.
The operation was a success and thanks to Ann, Gavin, who is now 11, had a new kidney.
Ann was in pain after the surgery, but she was sent home to recover.
Gavin had to spend nearly 3 weeks in the hospital.
Gavin is getting better day by day and his appetite is coming back.
Such an amazing story, right?