Analysis results Adilkhan and Sanzhar are siblings who faced many difficulties on the way to recovery at the Mother and Child Center UMC. Both boys were diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, when a body loses protein in the urine and kidneys deteriorate: Adilkhan at the age of 11 months, Sanzhar at 4 years old. For many years, therapy supported the health of the patients, but the only treatment was a donor kidney transplant.
At the age of 5, Adilkhan was transferred to peritoneal dialysis, which replaced kidney function for the next two years, as there was no suitable donor. The boy’s parents were not compatible, but a donor was found among the relatives. Adilkhan’s aunt agreed to donate a healthy kidney after passing the necessary tests.
The organ transplant took place in 2016, however, after some time the donor kidney was rejected. The doctors transferred the little patient to hemodialysis and included him on the waiting list for a donor organ. The boy spent many months in the clinic due to the development of peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum) and weakening of the body. UMC team of nephrologists and intensive care specialists continued to fight for the patient’s life.
A year later, Adilkhan’s family received the long–awaited news – a suitable kidney from a posthumous donor had been found for the boy. The patient got a chance for a healthy life – it was the wish that Adilkhan made for his birthday and was delighted with the early gift. This occasion gave confidence to the patient, his family and the medical team before the operation, which successfully took place at the Mother and Child Center UMC. On his birthday, Adilkhan was transferred to a ward, where he continued his recovery under the supervision of specialists.
Sanzhar also faced the same diagnosis at the age of 4. Doctors confirmed the need for a donor kidney transplant. His own father became a living donor for him, and the tests confirmed maximum compatibility. In Sanzhar’s case, the doctors did not use dialysis, and the boy’s well-being improved after the operation. Thus, the recovery story of the siblings ended successfully, thanks to donors and their relatives.
Today, children live a full life, attend school and take care of their health. “We went through these difficulties together with a team of UMC doctors and medical specialists who supported us. We thank the whole team for their dedicated work and caring for each patient,” the boys’ mother shared.
The Mother and Child Center UMC has been performing kidney transplantation for children since 2012, and from a posthumous donor since 2015. Over the years, a multidisciplinary team of nephrologists, urologists, intensive care specialists, psychologists, transplant coordinators, and nursing specialists has been formed at the clinic. More than 100 children have successfully undergone a donor kidney transplant, but in many cases, close relatives of patients become living donors. To date, 76 children are on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, for whom organ transplantation is the only treatment method.
