Karen Rodas and Paul Rybkin’s son Nathaniel lived for just 36 hours after he was born.
The little baby was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) – a rare condition causes cysts to grow in the kidneys which can lead to kidney failure.
In 2013, the New Jersey couple had another child Maddy who had the same condition as their first child. However, after a two-year struggle with the disease Maddy was given a lifeline – thanks to her dad.
Maddy Rbykin’s condition had made her stomach swell and she was in and out of hospital for the first 18 months of her life.
In spite of the hospital visits, tubes and oxygen treatments Maddy was doing okay, until her health started to deteriorate.
According to The Mirror, Maddy was completely drained of energy, sleeping up to 18 hours a day and constantly vomiting.
Doctors feared she might die if a suitable kidney donor wasn’t found.
Successful operation
Her dad Paul was then identified as a match and was able to give his daughter the life-saving operation she needed.
“With Paul and Maddy, two of my most precious souls, going under the knife, my nerves were a wreck,” Karen said, according to The Mirror.
The operation greatly succeeded. both daddy and daughter are doing well.
“Daddy’s kidney has saved our little girl,” Karen added. “Now, she has boundless energy. Her massive tummy now just looks a little bit rounded and she is a happy and healthy two-year-old.”
A modest Paul said he would have done what any other parent would.
‘Happy and healthy little girl’
“We have been on a rollercoaster – but any father would have done what I did, donating my kidney to Maddy. It’s part of being a parent,” he said, according to The Mirror.
“Now we are on a high and can watch Maddy grow up as a happy and healthy little girl.”
Maddy will need another kidney transplant in 25 years, but for her parents, that feels like a “lifetime away.”
Maddy’s mom continues to update how it goes for her daughter – it’s great to see her progress and how’s she doing today, in 2023.
So happy that something could be done. Bless her and her dad too!
