Even though March is over and so is the official Kidney Disease Awareness month, I want to share the following story of a mommy whose little boy endured a kidney tumor, removal and chemo:
Adrienne earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication and sociology from Wake Forest. She also has a Masters of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from Indiana University. Adrienne and her husband, Patrick have recently relocated from Dublin, Ireland to Bloomington, Indiana with their two children (Lucy, 5; Andrew, 3). Adrienne is a pediatric speech-langauge pathologist with the private clinic, Collaborating for Kids. Adrienne has served in leadership roles in various organizations including: Junior League of Raleigh, Central Carolina Indiana University Alumni chapter, American Women’s Club of Dublin and Dublin Educate Together National School. Currently, she serves as a Director on the Executive Board of Delta Delta Delta and as a nursery volunteer at Sherwood Oaks Christian church. In her free time, Adrienne enjoys reading, cooking, gardening and traveling. Adrienne and her family support St. Baldrick’s Foundation by raising money to aid in cancer research. Learn more and donate here.Our son Andrew was healthy as a horse. He’d never had a sniffle, nor a fever, nor a bellyache. So, you can imagine our shock on April 18, 2013 when a pediatrician and radiologist sat us down and told us that our sweet, active, cuddly 1 year old boy had a Wilms’ Tumor consuming his left kidney.
In late February/early March, we noticed a bulge in Andrew’s abdomen. I proudly chuckled, “All babies have big bellies, right?” We joked that he looked like my husband’s uncle! Hilarious! But, when it didn’t go away or reduce in size, blood tests and an ultrasound led to his diagnosis.
A subsequent CT scan confirmed that the tumor (the size of a grapefruit) was completely enclosed in the left kidney and does not involve any other organs or blood vessels. This was good news! Though his left kidney was no longer functioning, his right one is in perfect condition. This was great news!
Andrew had a left nephrectomy on April 23, 2013 which is a medical-ese way of saying, “they surgically removed his left kidney and that hideous tumor.” A biopsy confirmed that it was Wilms’ tumor (nephroblastomatosis), limited to the left kidney with favorable histology, but there were some little floater cells we needed to kill off asap. This diagnosis informed his treatment plan and he began his course of chemotherapy on May 1, 2013.
Summer in Ireland consists of almost 20 hours of daylight and yet, the next three months were some of our darkest days. Andrew never lost his gorgeous white-blonde hair, but some of our worst side effects included not sleeping (and by that I mean, NOT. SLEEPING.), super skin sensitivity (diaper rash that looked like raw meat) and a whopper of a central line infection that landed us in the hospital for 15 days after we limped over the chemo finish line on our 8th wedding anniversary. Shortly thereafter, in August 2013 we got the “all clear.” Praise God!
Now that we are back in the USA, Andrew is followed by a wonderful radiology team and super oncologist whom we visit every 3 months. The farther we get from the date of initial diagnosis, the less likely a reoccurrence, so while we never want to wish away time, we do sometimes find ourselves ticking off the days and months just so that we can breathe a little easier.
I hope that Andrew’s story of faith, strength, resilience and love will encourage you today!
Andrew today, happy and healthy.
This story is part of my Weekend Wisdom series which shares the experiences and stories of other parents. April is Austism Awareness Month and C-Section Awareness Month, If you have your own story you’d like to share, fill out this form and I will be in touch!
