Paul Rybkin and Karen Rodas had a kid named Nathaniel, but he only survived for 36 hours after birth.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), an extremely rare ailment that can cause kidney failure in some people, was present in his body from birth.
The New Jersey parents welcomed daughter Maddy in 2013, and she suffered from the same illness as her older sister. However, after fighting the ailment for two years, the little girl finally found a ray of hope when her father offered her a lifeline.
Maddy Rbykin spent the first eighteen months of her life in and out of hospitals due to the swelling in her tummy caused by her ailment.
Before her health began to decline, Maddy was doing fine despite the hospital trips, tubes, and oxygen treatments.
The Mirror reports that Maddy was severely undernourished due to her frequent vomiting and 18-hour daily sleep schedule.
Without a qualified kidney donor, her doctors were afraid she might not make it.
Successful operation
After her father, Paul, was found to be a compatible donor, he was able to provide his daughter with the necessary surgery to save her life.
The same thing also killed her older brother.
“With Paul and Maddy, two of my most precious souls, going under the knife, my nerves were a wreck,” Karen said, according to The Mirror.
The operation went smoothly, and dad and daughter are both recovering nicely.
https://www.facebook.com/aKidneyForMadeline/photos/a.904072003000518/6187225128018486/?type=3&ref=embed_post
“Daddy’s kidney has saved our little girl,” Karen added. “Now, she has boundless energy. Her massive tummy now just looks a little bit rounded and she is a happy and healthy two-year-old.”
Paul, ever the modest parent, claimed he would have acted similarly.
‘Happy and healthy little girl’
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“We have been on a rollercoaster – but any father would have done what I did, donating my kidney to Maddy. It’s part of being a parent,” he said, according to The Mirror.
“Now we are on a high and can watch Maddy grow up as a happy and healthy little girl.”
The 25 years until Maddy need a second kidney transplant seems like a “lifetime away” to her parents.
Here you can follow Maddy’s journey as her mom keeps you updated on her progress. It’s fantastic to see how she’s doing now, in 2023.