Fourteen months after Alex Brigantti’s chronic kidney disease diagnosis, the Wilmington teenager received a life-saving kidney transplant early in the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s pediatric nephrology unit.
Prior to the surgery, Alex’s condition had progressed to the fifth and final state of kidney disease, after she had one potential kidney donor fall through earlier this year.
“We have absolutely no information about the donor,” said Alex’s mother, Aidimar Richardson, in an Oct. 25 email. “All we know was that it was an excellent kidney. About this time next year, the donor’s family will have an option to communicate with us if they want to. I hope they do because I want to personally thank them for giving my daughter this precious gift.”
Alex was released from the hospital on Thursday, Oct. 15 after a nine-day stay.
“The UNC staff gave her the best care any mother could ask for,” Richardson said.
One of her nurses, Ariel, encouraged Alex’s aspiration to become a pediatric nurse by giving her advice about nursing school.
“We plan on staying in contact with her,” Richardson said.
Now, Alex is recovering from home.
“The biggest issue is her immune system. The anti-rejection meds make her immune system extremely compromised, so it’s all about keeping germs, bacteria and infections away,” Richardson said. “A simple cold could become something more complicated.”
Before surgery Alex was on a restrictive diet, but now she can eat what she wants, except for grapefruit.
“She is now taking 30 pills a day, but it will go down as time passes. So far, she is doing great and spending pretty much all of her time at home since she can’t be exposed to germs. She gets labs done three times per week and we will see her pediatric nephrologist in Chapel Hill once a week for a little while,” Richardson said.
Alex’s doctors said that her chronic kidney disease may be the result of a virus she had that spread to her kidneys.
Richardson urges other parents of children with kidney disease to be careful of illnesses.
“Don’t take small fevers for granted. You never know what a simple virus can do,” she said. “Do your research and learn everything there is to know about your child’s life-threatening disease, research given medications given and develop a good relationship with the team taking care of your child,” she said. “Even though at times it feels like it is impossible, never lose hope and faith.”
Alex will return to Eugene Ashley High School in December. Her family is collecting donations for her continued medical expenses at http://www.cotaforalexb.com/
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