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A few weeks into her pregnancy, Delhi mom, Amber, went in for an ultrasound to learn the gender of her coming child. On the way home though, she received an unexpected call. The ultrasound tech had concerns about her baby’s kidneys.

After many trips to Mount Sinai hospital, McMaster Children’s Hospital and to SickKids, Amber learned that her unborn son had posterior urethral valves. A posterior urethral valve, or PUV, meant that Amber’s baby would have life-long kidney problems and needed surgery to have a bladder shunt put in, while in utero.

The surgery went well for both Amber and her son, but afterward, during an amniotic infusion, Amber’s water broke. After ten days of bed-rest in the hospital, Amber went into emergency C-section and her son, Lucas, was born at twenty-five weeks.

 “It was challenging for us, dealing with not only his prematurity but, the fact that he had what was going to be a chronic disease,” says Amber.

Four months after his birth, Lucas was discharged from the hospital and just a few weeks later, Lucas’ Legion was out in full force at the Brantford Kidney Walk.

“We brought him on his oxygen and all of his monitors and that was the first year we participated. Before then, I barely knew kidney disease existed. I thought it was something that only affected elderly people.”

The team that rallied around Lucas and his family that first year continues to grow. Now four-years-old, Lucas and his legion are this year’s Brantford Walk Ambassadors. The team grows each year with Lucas’ big, loving family joined by family-friends like Ken. Lucas calls Ken ‘Poppa’ and this past April, Ken celebrated his one-year kidney transplant anniversary.

A major supporter of the team, Ken and his wife Bernice are key members of the team supporting Lucas.
“We make it a great experience for him,” Amber shares. “Last year Spiderman was at the Walks and that was great for him! For us, we’re happy to meet other families, raise awareness for the cause, and support kidney research for a future where kids like Lucas don’t have to grow up knowing kidney disease.”