Paisley Rae’s journey started at the 16-week ultrasound when we thought we’d find out if she was a boy or girl, and instead we found out she had a very rare condition called a bladder outlet obstruction that had greatly decreased her amniotic fluid around her and was damaging her kidneys. This news sent us from Augusta, GA, to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where we were told she would not survive. The options they gave us were termination or continuing with palliative care knowing she wouldn’t make it. We asked the doctor to put a number on the chance she had of survival, and they told us she had a less than 1% chance. After the initial and extreme devastation, we pleaded to God to give us any other way to help our baby not only survive but to thrive, and He led us to a local doctor in Augusta who was willing to perform amnio infusions – an experimental procedure to increase the amniotic fluid for development of Paisley’s lungs. We did 15 of these procedures, and Paisley Rae Brown made her entrance into this world on her own at 34 weeks 4 days and weighed 4lbs 11oz! She came off all oxygen by day 10 of her life, and started peritoneal dialysis on day 3 due to her kidney damage. We spent 65 days in the hospital, and then we were able to bring our girl home! 

Paisley Rae has brought hope into ours and others’ lives when hope seems impossible. She has changed people’s faith, including ours, to KNOWING that God can do the impossible and seeing the miracles He can create right before our eyes! Being able to see a miracle every single day in Paisley brings the whole world into perspective, and she brings light to everyone she meets! God’s love just shines from her and what she can do, and what she’ll continue to do! 

Through her journey so far, Paisley has been on peritoneal dialysis nightly since she was three days old, had two hip surgeries due to bilateral hip dislocation, and has most recently had a G tube surgery. She has taken all of these things and has tackled them in Jesus’ name! She is such a happy, sweet, sassy little girl who loves to inspire. She’s three years old and has been accepted to the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston for a kidney transplant!! She is currently being worked up for her transplant, and her daddy is donating to her! Please follow this princess warrior’s journey to a kidney and the life she so deserves! Our hopes in her story are to bring others to Jesus knowing that He is Lord and that He is capable of the impossible (and less than 1%)! We are SO proud of our baby girl and know that she will continue to overcome and conquer!

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.