Kidney Failure: Kidney Transplant Offers Hope for Davonte
"Always Stay Positive about the Situation"
At age 12, Devonte Hall received word that his kidneys had failed. Knowing nothing of the condition, or the road to treatment and recovery that lie ahead, he learned quickly with help from his nurses and doctors of the Dialysis Unit at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. One rejected kidney transplant and several years of hemodialysis later, he's ready to receive a second transplant from his sister Latoya. With high hopes he looks toward a bright future filled with his favorite activities, including basketball, video games and going to the mall with friends.
Dealing with Dialysis
Devonte Hall loves football and enjoys life in Cincinnati. A resident of the city all his life, he grew up going to Cincinnati Children's. "It's where I've always been," he recalls. Feeling sick one day in 1998, when he was only 12 years old, an examination at Cincinnati Children's revealed an abnormally high blood pressure. Then the big shock: Devonte was diagnosed with renal (kidney) failure. Although he was overwhelmed, Devonte could think of no place he'd rather be for his treatment.
Like many patients, Devonte had no idea what kidney failure meant and how or if it could be treated. He was the first in his family to ever experience such a condition. With the help of the Dialysis Unit staff, he quickly learned about his condition and everything it entailed.
The kidneys are two small organs in the abdomen that cleanse the bloodstream of waste products. When the kidneys fail, a patient is faced with two options: dialysis or kidney transplant. There are two kinds of dialysis: peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis. The first involves the injection of a cleansing fluid directly into the abdomen that collects wastes and extra fluid, which is then drained to rid the body of these wastes. Hemodialysis involves the insertion of two needles directly into the blood stream that gather the blood a little bit at a time for cleansing in a machine called a Dialyzer.
For the time being, dialysis was necessary. After consulting the doctors in the Dialysis Unit, Devonte was placed on a typical but strict hemodialysis schedule.
"After hemo, you sometimes feel sick, or like you just don't want to anything the rest of the day," Devonte said of his hemodialysis treatment. "It also takes a lot of time. If you come in the afternoon, your whole afternoon is gone." He prefers a morning schedule (roughly 7 - 10:30 am) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
With the prospect of a lifelong hemodialysis schedule, Devonte's mother Tanya Sykes and father Derek Hall decided to place their son on the Kidney Transplant waiting list. As Hemodialysis continued and time dragged on, the only thing to do was to wait for a kidney to become available for transplant.
A Rejected Transplant
For four years, Devonte returned to Cincinnati Children's three days a week to have the hemodialysis machines perform the work of his kidneys. Everything changed, however, when Devonte turned 16 -- his family received word that a matching kidney was available for transplant. After four long years, Devonte received a cadaver kidney transplant.
At first, things went smoothly. The surgery was successful and everything seemed fine. Soon, however, it became apparent that something was wrong. Upon investigation, doctors discovered that Devonte's new kidney was being rejected by his body. With no choice, Devonte was placed back on hemodialysis for another four years.
Part of a Community
Devonte continues his hemodialysis treatment today. Despite the rigid schedule, Devonte looks for the positives. "This is one of the best hospitals in the United States for children," he remarks. In addition to exceptional medical care, Devonte says Cincinnati Children's adds another element to the mix. "The doctors are really nice," he explains. "They aren't all about business with me. They all come in and crack jokes --they make you get into it and think, hey, today could be pretty fun." One of the key things about Cincinnati Children's, Devonte says, is that the doctors are on a "get-to-know-you type basis."
He's not so sure he would receive this in another facility. When offered to transfer his hemodialysis treatment from Cincinnati Children's to the University of Cincinnati (an offer only made when a patient turns 20), he readily declined. "I feel like I'm part of a community here. Some people have been here for me since the beginning, like Tonya Brice-Scott," he explains.
Kidney Camp
One clear reward of Devonte's condition is "meeting a ton of interesting people." Devonte notes with a smile where some of his most memorable experiences while under the care of Cincinnati Children's occurred: Kidney Camp.
Kappa Kidney Camp is a five-day camp offered by the National Kidney Foundation of Ohio. The camp is held every summer in Columbus, Ohio. Its participants include renal failure patients from around the state of Ohio. Devonte recounts all the fun activities at camp over the years, including bowling, movies, swimming and more. In addition to the fun, Devonte says, "It's just good to know I'm not in this alone."
He's particularly excited for camp this year. "When you turn 20, you get to be a Camp Counselor," he explains. Devonte is thrilled and honored to take on the responsibility.
A Second Chance with a Family Transplant
Devonte's body may have rejected his first kidney transplant, but that's far from stopping this strong-willed young man. He's been scheduled to receive a second transplant from his sister Latoya this fall. A transplant could mean the end of his hemodialysis treatment, and a new way of life. A transplant may not be a cure, but if his body accepts the transplant, hemodialysis will be out of the picture.
"Just don't look at the bad stuff about it," Devonte offers as advice for other patients. "Always stay positive about the situation." Acknowledging how lucky he is to have a second chance with a transplant, Devonte looks toward the fall with hope. In the meantime, he still enjoys basketball, video games and going to the mall with friends.
