***Update November 22, 2021***

Kelvin has a working kidney and is on the road to recovery! Thank you for your prayers and support! James 5:15 and Jeremiah 30:17

 

***Update November 13, 2021***

Kelvin has been medically cleared for a kidney transplant! On November 22, 2021 he will be receiving a living donor kidney at Duke. This is the next major step of his recovery process. Thank you to everyone that has supported us during this journey. The prayers and donations have helped so much. -Galations 6:9

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***Update August 3, 2021***

Praise report: three week post surgery appointment went well. Kelvin got his stitches removed. He is walkin a little faster. Healing is happening! His brother Emmanuel joined us on our appointments today. I truly admire how he sticks by his brother.

                                                 ***Update July 29, 2021***

Praise report update! Kelvin had a wonderful two week post op appointment today. Healing is coming right along!

                                                  ***Update July 20, 2021***

Kelvin is recoving well from hip replacement surgery! Thanks for all of the prayers, text messages, and blessings. We are back in the Ronald MacDonald House in Durham full of love and extended family.

***Update July 9, 2021***

To our #KLBSTRONG family, I wanted to provide a quick update on Kelvin and his journey. Kelvin is scheduled for hip replacement surgery on July 15, 2021. It has been recommended by orthopedics and kidney transplant team to have his hip replaced prior to kidney transplant. Things are happening fast and I can’t wait to tell the entire testimony. God is awesome! Thank you in advance for your prayers.

 

***Update May 28, 2021***

Will you help us in celebrating and honoring Kelvin’s three year post stem cell transplant on May 30 by emailing Kelvin “words of encouragement” at kelvinbrownjr11@gmail.com and/or consider donating to our COTA campaign as we prepare for his much needed kidney transplant. Also Kelvin turns 20 on May 31. Please wish him Happy Birthday blessings. 

$TeamKelvinB | #KLBstrong!

 

***Update April 21, 2021***

It has been awhile since I have posted an update. Life has been crazy busy, but we are blessed to still have life, health, and strength. Kelvin has recovered extremely well from his shoulder replacement surgery on December 23, 2020. His diabetes is under control. He is stable on peritoneal dialysis. He is almost finished another semester of school at College of the Albemarle. We are in the process of scheduling his three year post bone marrow transplant procedures. We are also in the process of completing his full body work up for kidney transplant. As we move into this next phase, we ask that you say a special prayer that God will send the perfect kidney to Kelvin.

We believe in the power of prayer! Please let us know if you want more kidney transplant information.

***Update December 26, 2020***

Kelvin is HOME! Successful surgery and he is feeling the “healing” pain. Thank you for all your prayers!

***Update December 22, 2020***

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! Please say a special prayer this week as we head to Duke for Kelvin’s shoulder replacement surgery on December 23, 2020. One step closer to kidney transplant!

Thank you for your continued love and support over the past three years! 

 

***Update June 12, 2020***

Thank you so much for your contributions to our lastest successful COTA fundraiser! We will have more fundraisers in the future. Thanks again for your support, these funds will be used for transplant related expenses.

*** Update June 1, 2020***

On May 30, 2020 Kelvin celebrated his two year post-transplant milestone! To God be the Glory! In honor of this milestone we are starting a new fundraiser. Buying a face mask not only protect you and others, but is a wonderful way to help raise funds for COTA to assist with transplant-related expenses.  If you would like to donate, please click here: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/support-team-kelvin-with-custom-face-masks 

***Update May 12, 2020***

In February 2020, we were given the green light to take Kelvin home to Elizabeth City and only return to Durham every other week.  What a new found freedom, yet a very scary new chapter in our lives.  What will our new normal be like?  Can we manage the driving back and forth?  How will we manage dialysis?  We started figuring it out by the grace of God.

Then COVID 19 happened. What in the world!  We just need to catch a breath! After taking with medical staff and making some medical adjustments. We returned home from Durham on Sunday, March 22!! We are under stay at home orders, but at least my family is all together and not separated during this time.

Kelvin does still have some essential appointments in Durham 2 days a month. We work hard to schedule all appointments on those two days. We pray and ask God to cover us during this time. It is very scary to leave the comfort of home to venture out to medical appointments and into a City where there are many cases of COVID19. 

While we are still in search of a kidney, we will continue to keep Kelvin stable on peritoneal dialysis. Anyone who wishes to see if they are a kidney match, we are encouraging them to call Duke Transplant Center at 919-551-3965 to start the screening process.

The journey is not over but God is seeing us through!

***Happy Holidays!***

Kelvin received his peritoneal dialysis catheter on August 20. It was decided to stop doing hemo-dialysis and start peritoneal dialysis because it is a better health and life choice for Kelvin. We have now been actively doing peritoneal dialysis since late September and things are going pretty well now. We are still currently located at Duke due to other appointments Kelvin has going on. He still attends bone marrow clinic, physical therapy, pain management therapy and pain management clinic.

Through all this we received great news. Kelvin is cured from sickle cell disease! His body is only making donor cells. The bone marrow transplant was a success!! Now to getting that much needed kidney. It is the plan to return home to Elizabeth City, NC in December and wait patiently for a kidney.

Kelvin is on the kidney transplant list. Without a kidney, he may have to have dialysis for the rest of his life.

The family appreciates all the prayers and support they have received!

Please continue to pray as we continue our journey.

***Updated July 2, 2019***

 

#FromComa2Diploma!

On June 8, 2019 Kelvin graduated from high school with HONORS. With assistance, he was able to walk with his class and WALK across the stage to receive his diploma. Kelvin is the epitome of strength, courage and resilience…he is still furthering his education by taking an online summer school class at the College of the Albemarle.

Kelvin has been weaned off immunosuppressive drugs and Kelvin got his first set of immunization shots on June 20, 2019. In order for Kelvin to not be dialysis dependent for the rest of his life, we have decided to see if he is a candidate for a kidney transplant. Kelvin has been accepted to the Kidney Transplant List as of May 21. We now begin the search for a living kidney donor. Kelvin’s blood type is O+. Anyone who wishes to see if they are a match, we are encouraging them to call Duke Transplant Center at 919-551-3965 to start the screening process. All donors will remain anonymous. Our health insurance will help cover transplant medical costs for the donor. 

While waiting for the kidney transplant we will prepare Kelvin to receive peritoneal dialysis at home. 

KELVIN’S STORY

 

Kelvin Brown Jr was born on May 31, 2001 at Martin Army Community Hospital on the post of Ft. Benning, Ga. Born to the parents of Kelvin and Sharon Brown, Sr., it was found as early as six weeks old that Kelvin was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Beta Thalassemia. At the time, his parents were aware of the Sickle Cell disease but was not enlightened about Beta Thalassemia. Kelvin’s parents became a quick study of this disease. 

Kelvin has spent most of his life in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals dealing with various pain crisis and other conditions that sickle cell disease can bring to a person. Growing up with Sickle cell disease has always been a challenge, especially when it came to school. These appointments not only interrupted his class schedule but limited his recreational outlets. Kelvin has worked extra hard to attend school and/or attend the hospital school. He has constantly spoke to many of his classmates about his disease, so they could learn and understand him better. 

At the age of 14, Kelvin started having more frequent, longer and more intense pain crisis. His way of life had been halted. He could no longer push to go to school or function as a normal teenager. His body was always in pain.To provide a more promising future for Kelvin, the doctor’s suggested a bone marrow/STEM cell transplant. After much prayer, his parents decided to give Kelvin a chance at a sickle cell free future. 

On May 30, 2018, Kelvin received the stem cell transplant. Since Kelvin’s immune system was depleted by chemotherapy, he was extremely vulnerable to infection. To avoid infections, strict protective isolations must be observed. He was confined to the hospital and had contact with his doctors, nurses, and caregivers only. 

During that time some of the side effects of chemotherapy was present. (mouth sores, hair loss, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, etc). Nutrition was given via his central line or NG tube. There were several blood transfusions during that time and platelet transfusions. The first 100 days was crucial in his recovery. 

During this time, Kelvin was receiving continuous dialysis and placed on a ventilator. After a week on a ventilator, we was taken off, but continued on continuous dialysis. Kelvin then spent several weeks recovering and fighting through delirium in PICU. 

During the chemo phase of preparing for transplant, Kelvin’s kidneys took a hard hit. On June 26, Kelvin went into renal and respiratory failure and was moved to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Duke Medical Center. All we could do was wait and pray while his future was uncertain. He spent a week on a ventilator and started 24hour 7 days a week dialysis. Even though they were able to get him breathing on his own again, Kelvin remained on dialysis to help remove fluids because his kidneys were no longer functioning. 

Kelvin began to recover and thrive again, and then tragedy struck again, respiratory failure. On July 29, he was placed back on the ventilator. This time Kelvin remained on a ventilator/ oscillator for 26 days. During this time, he was put into a paralyzed state. After weeks of not knowing if he was going to make it off the ventilator, a decision had to be made because his carbon dioxide levels were getting too high. How do you discuss DNR for your 17 year old son? So the time came and we had to make a decision to take him off ventilation. Either he would breathe on his own or he would slip away from us. Praise God….he started breathing on his own. Due to the time spent in this state, he had to learn to talk, eat, move, walk and other fundamental activities all over again. His hard work begins fighting back from these complications, all while still on a dialysis machine. 

On September 7, 2018 Kelvin celebrated his first 100 days. Kelvin was still in the PICU. He was receiving occupational and physical therapy every day to help him regain his strength. With the help of PT he walked on October 10th over 130 feet! He is also progressing neurologically and cognitively, and on October 15, he officially started his senior year of high school in an online course with assistance from a hospital teacher. 

On Tuesday, November 20, 2018 Kelvin was released from PICU and transferred back to the bone marrow unit at Duke Medical Center! He only takes dialysis four times a week! 

Kelvin was released from Duke University Hospital to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake on January 16, 2019. He will remain at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham as he continues to go to doctor’s appointments, receive physical therapy, and dialysis. 

Kelvin was readmitted to the hospital on February 26, 2019 due to complications from a blood clot. He is in good spirits and he will be in the hospital for several days to monitor his progress.