6-year-old Delta girl one step closer to a kidney transplant
DELTA, Mo. (KFVS) - A Delta kindergartner is one step closer to being eligible for a life-saving opportunity, which is bringing hope to her family.
Lola Johnson was diagnosed with kidney cancer at 10 months old and lives with end-stage renal disease.
“She’s tethered to her machine seven nights a week for 12 hours a night,” said Kristen Hurt, Lola’s mom. “She can’t take baths like a normal six-year-old. She can’t go swimming. She can’t do overnights with family and friends. We can’t go on trips that are overnight.”
Hurt said Lola will be activated on the kidney transplant list in one week. They’ve waited two-and-a-half years for that news.
“We’re hoping that we get the call quick and we can get through the first few months and that she will be able to live a normal life, as she puts it,” said Hurt.
Lola said she wants to be able to swim and go to her teacher’s house, once she has her new kidney.
To help Lola’s family deal with the financial burden of her disease and the transplant, the Delta High School Baseball team pitched in and raised money.
“It’s more than the wins and loses on the score board, it’s about wins and loses in life,” said Cody Naramore, the team’s coach and Lola’s bus driver.
The team raised $1,100 for Lola’s family.
“We were so surprised and touched, and the community outreach has been very surreal for us. And it feels very good, especially for her. She feels like a superstar, like she’s being acknowledged for her battles,” said Hurt.
“It makes me as a coach feel like we accomplished something other than winning baseball games,” said Naramore.
“She deserves to live life like a normal child. So I want to give her that piece of childhood that she’s missing out on,” said Hurt.
Lola’s mom went on her own health journey and lost 190 pounds, and now she’s eligible to be a live kidney donor for her daughter.
Her family is also raising money to help cover the costs that come with her future transplant.
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