John Miller was born with the urinary condition, hydronephrosis, and his body began to fail when he was 5 weeks old
NEED TO KNOW
- John Miller, 2, received a life-saving kidney transplant after being born with a urinary condition called hydronephrosis, which causes the kidneys to swell
- His late cousin Lance Miller, who died in a motorcycle accident, was a near-perfect genetic match for the transplant
- The successful surgery marked the 2,000th pediatric transplant at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
A 2-year-old boy from Georgia got a second chance at life from his late cousin.
Greer Miller’s toddler son, John Miller, was in dire need of a kidney transplant after being born with hydronephrosis, she shared in a recent interview with 13WMAZ.
Hydronephrosis is a condition of the urinary tract in which one or both kidneys swell because urine doesn’t fully empty from your body.
John’s body began failing when he was 5 weeks old, with his family moving between cities in Georgia to find care for him.
Before he turned 1 year old, John was hospitalized nearly 10 times. His older sister Charlotte often had to stay with her grandparents during his hospital visits, the news station reported.
With the help of a feeding tube, John began to gain weight and was strong enough to be added to the transplant list in March.
As John’s family waited for a donor match, his older cousin Lance Miller sadly died in a motorcycle accident in May.
Grief-stricken, Lance’s immediate family made the decision for Lance to be an organ donor.
Doctors said Lance’s kidneys were one of the best matches they had seen in years, John’s father, Kris Miller, recalled to 13WMAZ.
“My dad and Lance’s dad were twin brothers. That’s why the match was so great genetically,” he said. “Lance would look like an uncle for John, not a cousin.”
John underwent transplant surgery on June 3. Despite the challenges of fitting ana dult kidney into the 2-year-old’s body, the operation was successful.
His family told 13WMAZ that John is thriving, has more energy, and now plays nonstop and laughs freely.
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The procedure made John the 2,000th pediatric transplant recipient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, according to a press release.
“This milestone reflects decades of collaboration, research and compassionate care that have helped thousands of children receive a second chance at life,” Donna Hyland, the hospital’s retiring CEO, said in the release.
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