Rebel is a three-year-old girl who truly embodies the essence of a “girl’s girl.” She dances to Taylor Swift, adores pink, and is fascinated by unicorns. To continue learning and exploring her passions, Rebel needs a kidney.
About Rebel
Rebel was born during the uncertain times of COVID-19, and her medical concerns began early.
An anatomy scan during pregnancy revealed issues with her kidneys, leading to a diagnosis of a serious kidney condition that required close monitoring and eventually necessitated an early delivery at 36 weeks.
At just a year and a half old, Rebel underwent a nephrectomy, similar to her sister Rio, to address complications from her oversized kidneys that were affecting her eating and overall health. This surgery helped improve her condition, but her medical challenges continue. A year after her nephrectomy, Rebel needed additional support for nutrition; a G-tube was placed to facilitate overnight feeds, helping her gain the necessary weight to stay healthy.
Despite these ups and downs, Rebel loves all things typically adored by three-year-old girls. She is captivated by pink, princesses and unicorns, and has a particular obsession with flamingos, which has led her mother to affectionately say, "She's like an old woman who's moved to the beach." Rebel also enjoys sensory play, especially kinetic sand and Play-Doh.
Although her medical conditions have delayed her physical development—making it take longer for her to walk and climb—her family has been dedicated to supporting her progress. She has recently taken a liking to gymnastics and was gifted a balance beam for her birthday.
When asked what they are most looking forward to for Rebel when she gets a kidney, her mom shared, "I think the biggest thing is allowing her to go out and discover who she is, make friends, and attend classes. We've been overly cautious, partly because she's our first and also because we're scared of her getting sick or feeling different. We're eager to be a bit less cautious about everything and really let her experience life more fully."
Rebel’s journey is far from over, and she needs your support. A kidney transplant represents hope for a normal life—a chance for Rebel to grow up with fewer medical boundaries. By considering becoming a living kidney donor, you can help give Rebel a brighter future.
Do you want to help Rebel and her family? Please share the link to Rebel’s story or reach out to Kidneys for Communities at info@kidneysforcommunities.org to learn more about how you can help. The Kidneys for Communities team is here to answer your questions.
KIDNEY DONATION
How does kidney donation work?
A donor doesn’t need to be an exact match. In fact, because of the Nobel Prize-winning paired kidney exchange program, your kidney donation will not only save one life, but it will save several more in the chain.
Living kidney donation is safe, and all costs associated with your donation are covered. Living donor kidneys also last much longer than deceased donor kidneys. A deceased donor kidney transplant, on average, lasts 10-15 years, while a living donor transplant lasts 12-20 years.
Kidneys for Communities® Donor Benefits
Donating a kidney is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling acts someone can do.
Kidneys for Communities can help you through the process to help save a life, but we know there are many obstacles that can be prohibitive to the donor. At Kidneys for Communities, we take care of our donors with the industry’s most complete donor benefits package:
Onboarding and education
Personalized guidance through the donation process
Anonymity
Cost reimbursements:
Travel, food & lodging, lost wages, child, pet and adult care