A family in London, Ont., is fundraising for their teenage daughter’s journey to a healthier life.
Thirteen-year-old Keanna Shrubsall is battling a rare kidney disease, and she’s currently on a waitlist for a kidney transplant.
Her mother Sara Shrubsall told 980 CFPL’s Mike Stubbs on London Live Friday that her daughter has battled focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which affects one in 100,000 people, since she was six years old.
“From age six to eight, nothing was working with (medications) and she ended up on kidney dialysis at age eight,” said Sara.
“A year later, (Keanna) went for a transplant. Unfortunately, her disease came back, and the kidney didn’t wake up, (so) she’s been on dialysis every night for 10 hours a night for five years now.
“Sometimes, the kidney sleeps when they’re taken out of someone’s body and put in someone else’s. … Keanna’s disease came back right away.”
The family recently had a weight lifted off of their shoulders when Sara received a call.
It was from SickKids, a health-care community dedicated to improving the health of children.
“(They) said they’re putting a couple of kids into remission with new procedures that are developed in the U.S. but Toronto has it.”
“It (provides) a new type of procedure after transplant, and after three months of treatment, the disease goes into remission and you just have to deal with a kidney transplant at that time,” Sara explained.
Keanna has completed her virtual assessments to be put forward for a kidney transplant, and the family found out last Friday that Keanna’s case will be presented to the transplant team, and she is going to be listed for a kidney transplant.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for that news,” said Sara. “A transplant is not a cure, but it’s a better treatment than dialysis.”
“It’s kind of like getting rid of COVID-19,” Keanna chuckled when explaining how she’s feeling about the upcoming transplant.
But the timeline of the procedure is blurry.
“They said we could get a call the next day or it might take two years to get that call (for when) there’s a potential kidney available,” said Sara.
“We would (have to) hop in the car and head to Toronto (and) we would be there for up to three months after the transplant.”
Until then, the 13-year-old will have to continue her usual routine, which involves nightly 10-hour dialysis.
“It’s a normal routine now,” said Keanna.
“You just have to be alert at all times. I know it sounds hard, but you deal with it.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help support Keanna on her journey.
According to the GoFundMe page, treatment costs around $20,000 and it is not funded by the government or hospital.
The family is also hosting a bottle drive on Sunday until 6 p.m. at their house to raise money.