He’s only nine years old, but Asher Rothmeyer’s been beating the odds all his life. Even before he was born, doctors gave him a 5% chance of survival.
Now in 4th grade and a whiz at math, Asher has been fighting for his life since before he was born. When his mom Kari went for her ultrasound scan while in the 20th week of her pregnancy, doctors discovered a valve problem that was impacting the baby’s kidneys. His bladder had burst in utero, causing urine to back up into the kidneys. The doctors tried four procedures to help alleviate the issue.
Asher was born about 2-1/2 months early and spent his first 75 days in the Neonatal ICU. To everyone’s surprise, his kidneys were functioning within normal parameters.
At about 1-1/2, Asher’s kidney function began declining and he began dialysis. At age 2, he got a new kidney –donated by his mom. He later underwent another procedure to augment the bladder that had burst in utero, to avoid urine backups into the kidney, but damage was done to his kidney.
In February of 2024, Asher’s kidney function began declining and another new kidney will be needed.
Despite undergoing 20 procedures and five major surgeries so far, Asher is a happy, outgoing kid who loves sports. Baseball is his passion and he’s a loyal Dodgers and Cubs fan. He pitches and plays 2nd base on his traveling baseball team, where he’s been named MVP many times. He’s now helping his younger brother Wyatt, 6, become a good player.
Asher is looking for someone to step up to donate a kidney to help him continue to beat the odds.
Do you want to help Asher Please share the link to Asher’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.
