Adrian's Kidney Campaign

Adrian is a living medial miracle. As a toddler, Adrian experienced very high blood pressure, body swelling, and a number of other symptoms not typically seen in children. After many long months of testing and running between various hospitals, Adrian was diagnosed at age 4 with Renal Artery Stenosis , a condition where the main arteries to the kidneys are not wide enough to allow for adequate blood flow to the organs, constricting the flow and causing high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, hypertension, and kidney damage. 

Adrian was fortunate at the age of 4 to be connected with a world-class surgeon, Dr. Stanley, at the University of Michigan Children's Hospital where he underwent the first of many operations. During this nearly 15 hour surgery, Adrian flat lined on the operating table, though was brought back through life-saving measures by his surgical team. The surgical team, led by Dr. Stanley, removed one of his kidney which was essentially "dead", with 0% function and performed a series of angioplasty maneuvers--interventions where small balloons are inserted into the narrowed or collapsed arteries and slowly inflated to allow for the arteries to re-expand to an adequate size to allow for proper blood flow to the remaining kidney. Most people diagnosed with this disorder aren't projected to survive past puberty. 

Fast forward to 2020 and Adrian found himself rushed to the ER with a blood pressure of 286/190....how is that even possible?! It is, though not without some lasting damage. He experienced partial loss of vision in his left eye due to the high pressure build up and had fluid collecting around his heart and in his lungs due to the fact that his remaining kidney only has 12% function and cannot remove fluids from his body in a normal manner. 

Adrian was in the ICU for about a week before his blood pressure was stabilized enough to be released with oral medications. But, within 12 hours of being discharged, he was being rushed back to the ER with fluid build up in his lungs and elevated blood pressure once again.

This was a crucial point. Although he was being put through another agonizing hospitalization, he was on the way to receiving the life-saving interventions that he needed. The day after being admitted to the ER for the second time, Adrian had a port surgically installed into his chest, a central line, so that the hospital could begin dialysis. This is the only way to keep the fluid moving out of his body and from accumulating around his heart and in his lungs. Regardless of blood pressure, his kidney isn't functioning and now his is a dialysis patient, at age 32. 

So, where do we go from here? Adrian is one of the hardest-working individuals and in his words "doesn't idle well". With the surgery to install the temporary chest port and dialysis 3 days a week for 4 hours each day, he is completely unable to work. There is a high risk of infection with the temporary port and he will remain with the temporary port until he is stable enough to receive a more permanent port, allowing him a bit more freedom. 

This doesn't take care of the fact that he has had to essentially leave his 50+ hour per week job with no notice, creating stress surrounding the hospital bills that are piling up with every treatment. Adrian has been a hard working young man and is now in need of a bit of help from those around him while he begins this journey down an unfamiliar and scary road. 

We will be updating this page regularly with health updates, photos, and anything else that may help with Adrian's healing and to hopefully bring a sense of normalcy to what it means to be a young person on dialysis. 

Just because you are on dialysis doesn't mean that you stop living, and for Adrian, this is merely the start of a new life, one without so much pain and suffering. Will you help us on our journey to healing? Thank you and have a blessed day!