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In his short years of life, Leo has braved surgery, dialysis and a kidney transplant.
“Leo is a typical 4-year-old who goes to preschool during the day and has lots of energy,” says his mom, Sara Newbanks. “Before his transplant, he was always tired and crabby. Now I can’t keep up with him. He is a busy boy who loves to play.”
Leo was born on June 20, 2017, and at 3 months old was diagnosed with Denys-Drash syndrome. The condition is characterized by abnormal kidney function, a cancerous tumor of the kidney called Wilms tumor and disorders of sexual development in affected males.
In April 2019, he experienced renal failure. In July of that same year, both of his kidneys were removed and he started dialysis, which would last for two years.
“In August 2020, Leo became active on the kidney transplant list,” says Newbanks. “We had some donors who were willing to donate, but they ended up not being a match. I had some friends get tested to be a donor, but nothing worked out. I was losing hope because of how long it was taking to find a donor.”
Newbanks decided to contact Leo’s father about potentially being tested as a kidney donor. “To reach him, I connected with his ex-girlfriend, Jessica, and asked her if she would ask him whether he’d be willing to see if he would be a good match for Leo’s kidney,” says Newbanks. “Jessica, in learning about Leo’s need for a kidney, went to be tested for potential donation and ended up being a really good match.”
Leo received a living donor kidney on April 7, 2021, National Living Donor Day, from Jessica.
“We grew a friendship from that moment on,” says Newbanks. “She is the best person in the whole wide world. She had no hesitation whatsoever to help Leo and I am so grateful for her.
“Jessica is amazing and a great friend. We get together about once a month so Leo can get to know his 12-year-old half-brother, and we plan to celebrate birthdays and holidays together too,” says Newbanks.
“It was wonderful to see these two women come together to save Leo’s life,” says Lindsey Shinn, St. Louis Children’s Hospital transplant services clinical program manager. “And it has special meaning since the transplant was performed on National Living Donor Day.”
Washington University transplant surgeon, Jason Wellen who serves as surgical director of the kidney transplant program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, performed the transplant surgery on Leo. He has performed more than 1,000 transplant surgeries on both adult and pediatric patients.
“Leo is an adorable and sweet little boy with a wonderful family,” Dr. Wellen says. “Leo is a fighter, too. He fought off numerous infections, surgeries and was 100% dialysis dependent after having both kidneys removed.
“The surgery went well and so did his recovery. It was wonderful to see how brave and strong Leo was through the whole process. It is amazing to see how well he has adjusted with his new kidney,” Dr. Wellen says. “The entire transplant team did an excellent job.”
“There are good people at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and I know that every time I’m there,” Newbanks says. “I was well informed by the Children’s staff through the whole process, and they made me feel comfortable. I appreciated the care they gave to Leo and continue to give him. I am so happy to see Leo doing what kids should be doing — having fun and smiling — and am so very thankful for my friend Jessica, who gave him a second chance at life.”
More about the Kidney Transplant Program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Kidney transplantation is a treatment option for children who have reached end-stage kidney disease. The Washington University specialists at St. Louis Children’s Hospital perform kidney transplants for children before there is a need to start dialysis (preemptive kidney transplantation) and for children already on dialysis. A child may require dialysis as a bridge to receiving a kidney transplant.
More about the Kidney Transplant Program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Kidney transplantation is a treatment option for children who have reached end-stage kidney disease. The Washington University specialists at St. Louis Children’s Hospital perform kidney transplants for children before there is a need to start dialysis (preemptive kidney transplantation) and for children already on dialysis. A child may require dialysis as a bridge to receiving a kidney transplant.
Living Kidney Donor Transplant
What is a living kidney donor transplant? These transplants occur when a patient receives a kidney from a live person, called a living kidney donor. This kidney donor could be a friend, a family member or even a stranger. Learn more about how to become a kidney donor.
What are the benefits of living kidney donor transplant? Living donor transplant offers multiple benefits, including:
- Shorter transplant process: Most people wait at least three years for a deceased kidney to become available. In some cases, it can even be as long as seven years. Patients who receive a living donor kidney can bypass the waiting list, shortening the transplant process considerably.
- Better organ function: Compared with deceased donor transplants (where the kidney comes from a person who has died), living kidney donor transplants work better and last longer – almost twice as long on average. In general, patients can expect a deceased donor’s kidney to last 10 to 12 years. That outlook improves to 17 to 20 years for a living donor kidney.
- Easier recovery: On average, living donor transplants result in shorter hospital stays with fewer complications.
- A planned transplant date: Living donors can choose the date for the transplant surgery so that you can plan for your transplant surgery. Deceased donor transplants are unpredictable and can occur in the middle of the night.
Kidney transplantation can dramatically improve the life expectancy and quality of life for children with end-stage kidney disease. St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s transplant coordinators make every attempt to match kidney transplant patients with a suitable living kidney donor.
As of this article's publication, St. Louis Children’s Hospital has performed 123 living kidney donor transplants.
For more information, call Children’s Direct at 800.678.4357.
