Wednesday might have been Valentine’s Day but it was special for other reasons, as it was also National Organ Donor Day — and for one family, they are celebrating both.Jessica Shockney gave her kidney to save the life of her 2-year-old son.”I think I get doubly special treatment today — Valentine’s Day and Organ Donor Day (all) in one,” Shockney said. The Shockney family is a close one, and siblings Juliet, Violet and Zach love their baby brother, Hank, who is filled with joy and loads of personality. He’s also running around with his mom’s donated kidney.”Unfortunately, when he was born, he had to go straight to the NICU at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, and then straight on a ventilator, and he had to start dialysis at just 3 weeks old,” Jessica Shockney said.”There were a lot of questions about whether he was going to survive or not. If he was only going to live a few hours,” said Hank’s father, Steven Shockney.Hank was born with underdeveloped lungs, which presented its own set of problems, but he also had two damaged kidneys because of a lower urinary obstruction in utero.He spent the first seven months of his life in the hospital, and he would need a kidney transplant to save his life. His mother was a match, and once Hank was big enough and healthy enough, doctors were able to do the transplant last August.”It was a relief. We were scared that he was (going to) go on a waiting list, to have him hooked up to a machine, every single day at our home, for 10 to 12 hours a day. We couldn’t travel without the machine. It was saving his life, so just to be off of that was life-changing for all of us,” Jessica Shockney said. “I think a lot of people are surprised to learn that that a child can get a kidney from an adult. I want the kidney to keep doing a good job. I wish I had more because a kidney transplant doesn’t last forever. He will most likely need another one in his lifespan, and then I might be looking at dad more.”While the Shockneys have so many reasons to smile, they want to spread the word about the importance of organ donation.”There’s over 100,000 people on a waiting list in the United States for an organ, and a lot of people die every day,” Jessica Shockney said.”Not everyone can be a living donor; it’s intimidating. And, not everyone is eligible. But at least be a deceased donor,” Steven Shockney said. “You can give the gift of life even after you’re gone. You can register at the Motor Vehicle Administration or InfiniteLegacy.org.”It takes just two minutes to register online, and it could end up saving a life. For more information or to register, visit the following website.
Wednesday might have been Valentine’s Day but it was special for other reasons, as it was also National Organ Donor Day — and for one family, they are celebrating both.
Jessica Shockney gave her kidney to save the life of her 2-year-old son.
“I think I get doubly special treatment today — Valentine’s Day and Organ Donor Day (all) in one,” Shockney said.
The Shockney family is a close one, and siblings Juliet, Violet and Zach love their baby brother, Hank, who is filled with joy and loads of personality. He’s also running around with his mom’s donated kidney.
“Unfortunately, when he was born, he had to go straight to the NICU at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, and then straight on a ventilator, and he had to start dialysis at just 3 weeks old,” Jessica Shockney said.
“There were a lot of questions about whether he was going to survive or not. If he was only going to live a few hours,” said Hank’s father, Steven Shockney.
Hank was born with underdeveloped lungs, which presented its own set of problems, but he also had two damaged kidneys because of a lower urinary obstruction in utero.
He spent the first seven months of his life in the hospital, and he would need a kidney transplant to save his life. His mother was a match, and once Hank was big enough and healthy enough, doctors were able to do the transplant last August.
“It was a relief. We were scared that he was (going to) go on a waiting list, to have him hooked up to a machine, every single day at our home, for 10 to 12 hours a day. We couldn’t travel without the machine. It was saving his life, so just to be off of that was life-changing for all of us,” Jessica Shockney said. “I think a lot of people are surprised to learn that that a child can get a kidney from an adult. I want the kidney to keep doing a good job. I wish I had more because a kidney transplant doesn’t last forever. He will most likely need another one in his lifespan, and then I might be looking at dad more.”
While the Shockneys have so many reasons to smile, they want to spread the word about the importance of organ donation.
“There’s over 100,000 people on a waiting list in the United States for an organ, and a lot of people die every day,” Jessica Shockney said.
“Not everyone can be a living donor; it’s intimidating. And, not everyone is eligible. But at least be a deceased donor,” Steven Shockney said. “You can give the gift of life even after you’re gone. You can register at the Motor Vehicle Administration or InfiniteLegacy.org.”
It takes just two minutes to register online, and it could end up saving a life. For more information or to register, visit the following website.
