Mother is a possible kidney donor for Conor
Conor's family is in need of funds as the boy's medical bill are piling up.
Conor van Baalen’s family is grateful to have found a possible kidney donor for the child – his mother.
Nearly five years after his first kidney transplant, Conor is urgently in need of another kidney.
His grandmother, Santie Botha, of Sunward Park, previously explained that at 22 months, Conor became extremely ill.
Two months later, after undergoing several tests, he underwent a kidney biopsy.
The boy, who lives in Brakpan, was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disease that is often difficult to treat, affecting each patient differently.
FSGS is not a single disease but a pattern of kidney damage and is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome, especially in children and adolescents.
Conor’s nephrologist tried several treatments and by the end of 2017, doctors confirmed that Conor’s FSGS was steroid-resistant.
The only thing that could help Conor was a kidney transplant.
His parents, Hennie and Santie, began a quest to find a kidney. About a year later, Danie de Wet overheard Hennie telling people how urgently Conor needed the organ and donated his kidney to the youngster.
The surgery was at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre on February 25, 2020.
The grandmother said the kidney transplant was a success, but the new kidney did not last and Conor’s genetic condition was incurable.
However, there is hope for Conor as his grandmother said all the tests the boy’s mother underwent thus far, indicated she was a match.
“We are so grateful, as he urgently needs a kidney. If everything goes well, the transplant will happen at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre soon.”
Grandmother Santie said Conor is doing well under the circumstances.
“Though he is going through all of this, he will tell you he is doing well. He is touching so many lives,” she said.
She added the family needs funds to cover his medical bills, which are piling up.
Anybody who can assist can call the grandmother on 082 959 0753 or visit www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/conor-van-baalen-5661700690121751995
Also Read: Hope for little Conor a year after kidney transplant
