Family struggles with child's illness

[okarol]

Family struggles with child's illness
4-year-old battles life-threatening
kidney disease

Updated: Tuesday, 11 Aug 2009, 7:32 AM EDT
Published : Friday, 14 Aug 2009, 8:05 AM EDT

(FOX Providence) - A family struggles as a local four-year old battles a life-threatening kidney disorder. Polycystic Kidney Disease is a rare disease and it affects thousands of Rhode Islanders.

Andrew Doughty seems like any other kid his age.

"He's a very active four year old right now. He runs around and plays," said Andrew's mom Rebecca Fisher.

But he is not just like every other kid his age. He, is in a constant fight for his life. And the battleground is his kidneys.

Andrew suffers from a disease, where cysts cover his kidneys, pushing out healthy tissue, and stopping them from doing their job.

"As his cysts grow and multiply his kidney function will decrease to a point where he'll either have to have a transplant or go onto dialysis," said Rebecca.

For now, the tiny patient is regularly poked and prodded, testing his blood pressure, getting ultrasounds, and taking daily medication. It's tough for his mom to endure, too.

"It's stressful to see any child go through the testing and just knowing that his life is going to be full of tests: medical tests. At some point he's either going to have to have a transplant or go on to dialysis and that's not a very happy future."

And, there is another added stress. These regular doctors visits are exceptionally costly.

But Andrew's mother Rebecca says her biggest concern is giving her son a normal, happy life.

"We just take it day by day and do what we can for today, and hope that what we're doing now will make it so that he can have a longer happier life without the intrusion of dialysis or a transplant."

To find out more how you can help, click here http://www.pkdcure.org/

http://www.foxprovidence.com/dpp/rhode_show/rhode_show_family_struggles_with_childs_illness_20090814

[petey]

At some point he's either going to have to have a transplant or go on to dialysis and that's not a very happy future."


But Andrew's mother Rebecca says her biggest concern is giving her son a normal, happy life.

"We just take it day by day and do what we can for today, and hope that what we're doing now will make it so that he can have a longer happier life without the intrusion of dialysis or a transplant."

First of all, let me thank Okarol for always posting news stories for / about ESRD folks.  You know my comments are NOT directed at you, Karol.

That said, this mother thinks you can't be "happy" or live a "normal" life on dialysis?  It just gripes me when patients/caregivers who have never experienced dialysis make statements like this.  Of course a person who's on dialysis can be happy!  Hell, every day that Marvin wakes up, he's happy -- happy that he's alive. 

Happiness comes from within, I believe.  Marvin's not excited, or "happy" if you will, that he has to endure his diaysis treatments five days a week, but he's very, very happy with his life.  Would he have picked (if he could) a life for himself without dialysis in it?  Oh, yeah!  But, he didn't get the choice, so he's making the best with what he did get.  It's all a matter of your attitude.

Now, if she had said that her child wouldn't live an "easy" life because of dialysis, I could have accepted and agreed with that.  But to say you can't be happy if you're on dialysis?   Give me a break!

I know it's different because we're talking about a child here, but still...