When Ayden met Aubrey: Kidney transplant creates a powerful bond between toddlers

Photos by Katherine C. Cohen Theirs is a friendship nurtured by coloring books, built on board games and mad dashes down corridors — but also silently strengthened by nature of a mutual struggle. Three-year-old Ayden Mosher of New York and 2-year-old Aubrey Ferrell of Tennessee met this fall in a lab at Boston Children’s Hospital. It was friendship at first sight. “They were just drawn to each other, and they have been inseparable ever since,” says Aubrey’s mom Janna Ferrell. Aubrey’s story Aubrey was diagnosed with congenital nephrotic syndrome at 4 months old. By 18 months, both kidneys were removed and she was placed on dialysis, while she waited for a transplant. When her mom wasn’t able to donate a kidney, a close family friend stepped up to donate hers. Aubrey received her kidney transplant on July 23, 2015. “We came to Boston Children’s because of the reputation they have, and because our insurance would only pay for her to be transplanted at a ‘Transplant Center of Excellence,’” says Janna. “We had a list to choose from and it was an easy choice, because we wanted her to have the best care. Nothing else mattered to us.” Ayden’s story “Spread out, guys! Spread out! We gotta find Aubrey,” yells Ayden as he struts through the elevator doors and onto the fifth floor of the Fegan building. He knows she will be here — although the visits have become less and less frequent as their medication routines stabilize and their new kidne...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories kidney kidney transplant Pediatric Transplant Center (PTC) Source Type: news