Louis is the son of Russell and Rachelle, and the youngest of their five boys.
Soon after Russell and Rachelle learned that they were welcoming another boy to their crew, they were told of the unique challenges of this particular child. During the pregnancy, Louis developed a blockage in his urethra, which caused end stage renal failure. During his development in utero, the medical professionals warned Russell and Rachelle that, because of the various problems (absence of amniotic fluid, the swelling of his bladder, and the problems with his kidneys), they saw little hope for his survival.
In response, Russell and Rachelle drew from their faith, and they offered his life to the hands of God.
Although Russell and Rachelle live in St. Louis, they chose the name Louis not for the city, but in honor of a recent Catholic saint, Louis Martin, the father of the St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower.
Louis Martin B. was born (at full term) on March 10, 2016, and baptized with his special name on the day of his birth. With little lung function in additional the kidneys, Louis’s life was sustained and eventually stabilized. Louis was in the NICU for 120 days.
After living the first four months in the NICU – where precious Louis endured multiple surgeries and a roller coaster of ups and downs – he finally joined his brothers at their home in south St. Louis city in July 2016.
In the two years since Louis was discharged from the hospital, the Brewer family watched their bright beacon of joy grow! The family received much support during this time from a home nurse, friends and family alike as the medical needs of Louis became a norm. Every night, Louis received peritoneal dialysis through his catheter, his life line, which did the work of his ‘kidneys’. Louis received most of his nutrition from a feeding tube connected to a “g. button” in his stomach, because the dialysis took away his appetite for food.
Although Louis has endured many surgeries and some minor delays in development, he is now an alert, active, joyful and talkative boy. Indeed, he works hard to fit right in with his older brothers. He loves to play outside in the back yard, just like most boys. He does wonderful animal expressions, which stir roars of laughter from his brothers and parents!
The medical team, which previously worried that he might never leave the hospital after his birth now rejoices as Louis continues to defy the odds. Louis received a donor kidney on August 20, 2018. He is now home with his parents and four brothers who are thrilled to have him home. Louis is learning to eat regular food and receives needed nutrition and medication through his g-button. Though the race to recovery after a kidney transplant has many hurdles to jump, Louis is doing very well.
Despite the challenges Louis has faced, he is a cheerful child who smiles alertly and rolls with life’s difficulties. Russell and Rachelle hold it all together by drawing strength from their faith. They have developed a devotion to Léonie Martin, the sister of St. Thérèse, and the daughter of their son’s namesake and ask for all of their intercessory prayers. The entire Brewer family is grateful for the support of friends, extended family, the community, and the medical team.
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.