đ Help Owen Find His SuperheroâA Kidney Donor đ
Meet Owen, our brave little warrior who was born with End Stage Renal Disease. At just 18 months old, heâs already faced incredible challenges and multiple surgeries and treatments. Through it all, Owen has shown remarkable strength and resilience, but now heâs ready for the next step: a life-saving kidney transplant.
The only thing missing is his superheroâa donor who can give him the gift of life. We are in a critical moment trying to find a kidney for him and we are asking for your help.
Could you be Owenâs hero?
We are urgently searching for a living kidney donor. Potential donors should be healthy individuals between the ages of 21 and 55. If you, or someone you know, would consider this incredible act of generosity, weâd love to hear from you.
Hereâs how you can make a difference:
đš Learn more about becoming a donor and how you can save Owenâs life.
đš Share Owenâs storyâevery share helps spread the word and brings us closer to finding his match.
If youâre interested in learning more or contacting us, please email us at babyowenneedsakidney@gmail.com.
Together, we can help our little boy find the superhero he desperately needs. Whether through donating, sharing, or simply spreading the word, your support means everything to us.
With love and gratitude,
Kristen and Dallas
Owenâs Stay In The NICU
At 32 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound revealed that both of Owenâs kidneys were very small and underdeveloped. Just a few weeks later, Owen was born critically ill with kidney failure and spent several weeks in the NICU. At just 1 week old he had surgery to have a peritoneal catheter placed in his abdomen and at 3 weeks he began dialysis. During his stay in the NICU he required around the clock monitoring, daily blood draws, and a feeding tube to help him eat.
Dialysis
This was Owenâs peritoneal dialysis machine - a machine he needed to be on for 10+ hours a day to treat his kidney failure. In order to remove waste from his blood, cleansing fluid would cycle in and out of his belly through an abdominal catheter. This catheter, which was surgically placed when he was just 1 week old, was a very serious infection risk and the site had to be cleaned and changed everyday.
While Owen was on dialysis, he had complications that led to additional surgeries and needed to stop dialysis. During that time we discovered that he had gained just enough kidney function to remain off dialysis. As he waits for a transplant, Owenâs kidney function is decreasing and he may have to go back on dialysis soon, which would mean yet another surgery. To avoid this, Owen needs to find a kidney donor as soon as possible.
âOwenâ Means Young Warrior
âOwenâ means young warrior, and that is exactly who he is. His strength and resilience amaze us as he endures the challenges of living with kidney failure, but even warriors need superheroes. And for Owen, that superhero is a kidney donor.
Please share Owenâs story and if you are interested in learning more about being a donor for Owen, please email BabyOwenNeedsAKidney@gmail.com
Kidney Function: DID YOU KNOW???
Kidneys are responsible for more than just filtering blood. They also help to regulate blood pressure, maintain fluid balance, produce red blood cells, produce vitamin D to keep bones healthy, and control pH.
Kidney disease can impact these functions from being performed properly. For Owen, this means needing a daily injection of growth hormone to help him grow and a weekly injection of medicine to help against anemia. A kidney transplant will allow him to no longer require these treatments.