Conrad Jax Williams aka The Rad Kidney Kid
Thank you for taking time to read about Conrad’s Journey
The ANNOUNCEMENT. First time parents, Austyn and Branden, friends and a huge extended family were excited to find out a baby boy would soon be added to our Florida family. His parents spent hours choosing the perfect name for our Little Dude. Conrad means Brave and Jax means God is Gracious.
The NEWS. At 20 weeks Austyn and Branden found out their baby had an enlarged bladder. Austyn’s OB GYN Referred her to Maternal Fetal Medicine. At this time the prognosis was to watch and wait. That is exactly what they did. Starting with ultrasounds bi-weekly, then weekly. No changes until the life changing appointment on November 1st 2021.
Life is forever CHANGED. Austyn will be hospitalized until delivery due to no amniotic fluid being present for Conrad. Keep in mind, when a fetus urinates that urine becomes amniotic fluid. They drink it and breathe it. This is very important for proper lung development. Now there is absolutely no amniotic fluid around our precious Conrad. Conrad has LUTO, an Urinary Tract Obstruction. This obstruction causes urine to back up into the ureters and kidneys damaging both and possibly resulting in kidney failure.
Hospital LIFE. One month and fourteen days in hospitals waiting, wondering, researching and most importantly praying for her child while Austyn was transferred from Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, to Pensacola Sacred Heart, to UAB in Birmingham before finally ending up with the specialist at Texas Children’s Pavilion for women in Houston Tx where she remained hospitalized until Conrad’s arrival.
Did you say NOW? December 15th 2021 Doctor says Conrad is fine however we need to deliver now. An emergency C-section is ordered and Branden barely makes it through the door in time to witness his son Conrad’s arrival. There is no greater joy than bringing a new life into the world. Welcome Conrad.
INTRODUCTION. Conrad Jax Williams arrives at 35 weeks and one day. A beautiful precious baby boy weighing 5 pounds and 7 ounces and 21 inches long. There was barely any time to take in his arrival before he was rushed out of the room.
NICU Life: Conrad arrived fighting for his life. Incubated bed side because his little lungs collapsed and immediately rushed off to NICU where he remains today. 147 days and counting. He has had multiple surgeries, blood transfusions, and started dialysis at only seven days old. Conrad was the 5th child to be put on the New Carpediem Machine at Texas Children’s Hospital. “The Carpediem” system provides continuous renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury patients weighing 2.5 – 10 kgs. At 34 days old Conrad transitioned to Peritoneal Dialysis. Peritoneal Dialysis will be required until transplant. Conrad also has a g-tube in place for the majority of his nutrition and medications. NICU life has definitely had its ups and downs for Conrad and his family. The hope is to bring Conrad home, continue treatment at home until transplant.
Mr. PERSONALITY. Conrad is a baby with many expressions. He is full of life, smiles and laughter. He is a fighter that keeps overcoming the odds. Looking at how happy he is makes it impossible to see and easily forget how sick he really is. The journey is far from over. Although Conrad is doing much better it has been determined he needs a life-saving kidney transplant to survive. As you can imagine, organ transplants are very expensive. This is especially true for families who now have a single income and had to relocate from Florida to Texas.
FAITH. Conrad is loved by many. We walk in faith and cover our sweet Conrad in prayer daily. Faith over fear is our motto. God is watching over our sweet Conrad.
TEXAS! Austyn and Branden remain in Texas and plan to remain for the foreseeable future to ensure that Conrad will continue to receive care from the extraordinary medical team and facilities at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Time to trade in sandals for BOOTS!
We decided to partner with Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) for assistance with transplant related expenses. Please consider donating to COTA in honor of The Rad Kidney Kid. COTA funds are available for a lifetime, so COTA still supports Conrad for this transplant as well as a future transplant of kidney disease related medical expenses in his future. Kidney transplants are not expected to last a lifetime, so unfortunately Conrad will face this again later in life.
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.