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Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: News Articles => Topic started by: okarol on February 09, 2008, 10:26:27 AM
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Morans bonded by more than bowling
By Justin Sauer • STAFF WRITER • February 8, 2008
Since the age of five, bowling has always been a big part of Kim Moran's life.
While growing up, the Toms River South sophomore's father, Robert, was happy to pass his passion for bowling down to her. However, little did the two know that a few years later Robert would pass along something to his daughter that she would ultimately carry inside her for the rest of her life.
At two years of age, Kim was diagnosed with a kidney condition that doctors struggled to categorize, but it was almost guaranteed that somewhere down the line she would eventually need a kidney transplant.
"The doctors really didn't give my wife and I an exact time frame, they just told us that she might need a kidney transplant anywhere from 2 to 14 years old,'' said Robert. "Then from that date on, every three to six months we took Kim in for routine check-ups and blood tests just to make sure everything was fine.''
And everything was fine, until January of 2007 when Moran's parents started to notice changes in their daughter that caused her suffering.
A month later, Moran and her family thought it would be best to have a kidney biopsy performed on her to see what was wrong and to see if she may need a kidney transplant.
"We started to notice a few different things about her that weren't normal,'' Robert said. "She began to look pale, she often complained of being nauseous and she seemed to have less energy.''
Sure enough, the biopsy showed that Kim was suffering from a rare kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) that was causing her kidney to deteriorate.
After being told that she would need a kidney transplant within 5 years, Moran and her parents began to search for a possible donor.
"Knowing that Kim would need a donor that had her same exact blood type automatically ruled out my wife and a lot of people on her side of the family,'' Robert said. "So hopeful that I would be able to donate one of my kidneys, I decided to have myself checked out.''
On Aug. 16, after having a "six marker match'' blood test performed on him at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, Moran's father found out that his blood type was compatible and that he would soon be able to give his kidney to his daughter.
"My dad was the first one the doctors evaluated and he was a match,'' Kim said. "When I found out that he was a match, it was wonderful feeling and it was a definitely a giant weight off my shoulders.''
Ironically that same day, after going in for her one of routine check-ups, Kim found out that she would need to go on dialysis until the surgery could be performed.
"In the back of my mind, I knew that many people go years without finding a match and some never find one, so we were overjoyed about that, but then the news came that Kim would have to go on dialysis,'' Robert said. "It was a very trying day.''
Starting in August and up until her surgery that was scheduled for Nov. 14, for three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) Kim went into the hospital for dialysis treatments.
As more and more people started to find about her condition, so did the Toms River school district.
"The support that the Toms River school district gave Kim and our family was unbelievable,'' Robert said. "When the school learned that she was on dialysis three days a week they allowed her take half days during those days. From 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. she would be in school and then at 1 p.m. she would go and receive her dialysis treatments.''
Six weeks after their successful kidney transplant surgery this past November, both Moran and her father returned to their normal lives.
Kim's father returned to his computer business consultant position at Bearing Point, while Kim was able to return to school and rejoin the bowling team.
"Of course I was nervous going into surgery, but I knew everything was going to turn out all right,'' Kim said. "But because of my surgery I missed about a month and a half of school and about a month of bowling, so I was really eager to get back.''
Despite missing the entire first month of the high school bowling season due to her surgery, Moran, also an honors student and a member of the school band, was determined not to let the surgery and her time away from bowling affect the rest of her sophomore season.
"I love being a part of the Toms River High School South bowling team,'' Kim said. "Bowling is my only sport and I've been doing it since was really little, so bowling really does mean a lot to me.''
"The idea that I might not be able to ever bowl like I used to did cross my mind, but the first time I bowled after having the surgery, I said to myself I can do this.''
Since her return to the team in the beginning of January, Moran's 186 average is currently second best on the team, while her 247 high game is tops on the team.
After finishing the regular season 25.5-25.5 in the competitive Class A South, The Indians are heading to the NJSIAA Team Tournament of Champions at Brunswick Zone/Carolier Lanes on Feb. 15. Moran's unexpected return has only strengthened the already strong Indians.
"We weren't even expecting her back this season,'' Toms River South coach Lynn Szablewski said. "Since she came back the team has been doing a lot better. Her teammates were very excited when she came back and she has been doing really well.''
For Moran's parents, who have been alongside their daughter through every step, watching her compete at Friday's NJSIAA Team Tournament of Champions will no doubt be special.
"I really can't put it into words how proud we are of her, it's wonderful,'' Robert said. "It's great to see her feeling so much better and it's nice to see her full of energy again. We're just happy that things are back to normal.''
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