This is Griffyn Anderson. He was born on January 9, 2022 via emergency cesarean section during the peak of COVID protocols.

Prior to birth, at 26 gestational weeks, Griffyn was diagnosed with multi-cystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) affecting his left kidney. This left kidney was full of cysts and therefore non-functional. His right kidney appeared to be functioning and his parents were assured it would compensate for the nonfunctional left kidney, allowing Griffyn to lead a relatively normal life after birth.

Labor was induced when the amniotic fluid levels suddenly dropped, but due to fetal stress during labor, Griffyn was born via emergency cesarean section. Griffyn was discharged from Hoag Hospital, Irvine, CA two days after birth. His older sister Gwendolyn (Gwennie) was overjoyed to meet her new little brother and to have him home with her mom and dad.

Two days later, at his routine initial check up, his pediatrician discovered that Griffyn had developed the markers for end-stage kidney failure. His parents, Jordynn and Evan, credit Dr Conrad’s swift action and along with the superior care given to Griffyn at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California (CHOC) with saving Griffyn’s life! The family had hoped and prayed that his right kidney would be able to compensate for his nonfunctional left kidney. Sadly, his right kidney was underdeveloped and not able to keep up with Griffyn’s needs. Griffyn was immediately admitted to the NICU where he stayed for the next 40 days. The family was informed that he will need a kidney transplant, and very likely more than one transplant during the course of his life.

Griffyn needed to be on dialysis to maintain his life. He had to have surgery to place a catheter into his abdominal cavity. Once the catheter was healed, Griffyn began the 10-12 hours of daily peritoneal dialysis. This was done by having a solution pumped into his abdomen and then drained, repeatedly. This caused Griffyn discomfort, a poor appetite and frequent vomiting. After 39 nights in the NICU on dialysis, Griffyn was discharged home.

And then new challenges began. Jordynn and Evan had to take Griffyn to the Renal Transplant Center of St. Joseph Hospital next to CHOC, Monday through Friday for 12 hours a day for a minimum of two weeks. There at the Renal Center, Griffyn would receive his dialysis and his parents would learn how to set up, administer, monitor, and take down Griffyn’s dialysis under the supervision and training of the skillful team at the Renal Center. The process was intensive and demanding. A room was set up in their house with all the equipment and supplies needed for Griffyn to undergo dialysis at home. Then, with much joy and some anxiety, his parents were allowed to bring Griffyn home on March 4, 2022.

Over the next several months, Griffyn’s lab work showed some improvement, and the CHOC renal team reduced the length of his daily dialysis. At home Griffyn continued to struggle with vomiting immediately after dialysis and throughout the day. This affected his diet, and his ability to take his medication. And since Griffyn needs to gain in height and weight prior to receiving a kidney transplant, this caused his parents much concern.

In July 2022 , parents were informed by the team that they felt Griffyn could be managed with less frequent dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant. His labs were stable enough. The renal team tried Griffyn on different schedules of dialysis, After 4 weeks, upon considering the all side effects Griffyn was experiencing from the dialysis, and the fact that Griffin’s labs were being maintained at such a low amount of dialysis, the team felt Griffyn could be weaned off dialysis. So many huge miracles in all of this!

In September 2022, Griffyn had the peritoneal catheter surgically removed. A few weeks later, Griffyn began to eat better, and the vomiting had ceased. Griffyn began to gain weight. Once Griffyn reached 8 Kg his team referred him to the Renal Transplant Center of UCLA to begin the long and arduous process (lab work, ultrasounds, appointments with specialists, etc. ) of being placed on the transplant list.

The next year Griffyn continued to slowly grow while being monitored for his kidney failure. He is meeting his developmental markers and is a joy to his family. In July 2023, the family moved to Tennessee. They transferred Griffyn’s care to the Renal Transplant Center at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. The family is hoping a real hero will be found and will step up to donate a kidney to Griffyn. Kidneys from living donors statistically last longer.

Griffin is awaiting a kidney transplant. His family has partnered with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) for assistance with transplant-related expenses. Please donate to COTA in honor of Griffyn by clicking the GIVE NOW button.

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.