TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A group dedicated to raising awareness and gathering support for pediatric kidney transplants is actively assisting a teenager from Polk County who is currently at Tampa General Hospital.
Kidney for Kids is traveling nationwide to locate an adult kidney donor for 15-year-old Zarmya Russell. She has been undergoing dialysis for six years after her initial kidney transplant did not succeed.
“She’s gone through a lot, it’s more than I can put into words, but she always keeps a smile on her face,” said Rekeria McCall, Zarmya’s Mom.
Russell was diagnosed with Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome at the age of 7. She had her first kidney transplant in 2016, but it was unsuccessful, and she is now in need of another transplant.
“Her strength gives me strength, each and every day, to show up here and to be here, and Tampa General is awesome,” her mother said.
Zarmya is at Muma Children’s Hosptial, which currently has 21 pediatric patients waiting for a kidney transplant.
“When people think about kidney disease and hemodialysis, we don’t typically think about kids,” said Dr. Paola Zayas, Pediatric Nephrologist at Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH. “We never think that kids can be going through dialysis or needing a kidney transplant.”
To help find her a match, the organization, Kidney for Kids, is traveling all around the country.
“Right now, we’re on a 20 city, 8,000-mile trip to recruit adult living kidney donors for children. We do that by talking to the patient and family about the story, in this case, Zarmya’s, and I tell about being a living kidney donor at 63,” said Brian Martindale, Executive Director.
This organization recruits adult living kidney donors and helps provide financial assistance through grants.
“When people are looking at this story and wanting to register for Zarmya, they can register through Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, as well as the National Kidney Registry,” Martindale said.
Zarmya’s family said not only would getting a new kidney help her health, but it would also give her another chance to live a normal life.
“Just to have a life outside of the hospital, for her to be able to go to school and have a sense of normalcy,” McCall said.
So far, Kidney for Kids has found 14 donors for 14 children, and they hope to find a match for Zarmya.
