Three days after Stockton was born in Montrose, he was flown to Children’s Hospital Colorado where he spent three weeks in the NICU due to kidney and bladder issues. Health officials determined his kidneys were small and atypically formed as a result of a blockage at his bladder outlet.
National Donate Life Month is wrapping up and one special recipient is sharing his story to help raise awareness.
He was discharged home but due to declining kidney function needed to start peritoneal dialysis at several months of age. Eventually, Stockton would need a new kidney.
“There are tens of thousands of people who are waiting across the country for a new kidney. That’s the same with livers and hearts and other solid organs. And the supply is just much smaller than the demand,” said Dr. Margret Bock with Children’s Hospital Colorado.
At about 18 months old, when he had grown big enough, he was ready for a kidney transplant. Fortunately, his mother was a match and was able to donate one of her kidneys to Stockton.
Stockton’s transplant took place at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora while his mom’s surgery took place just down the street at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Their family hopes by sharing his story others will be inspired to donate.
“Those kinds of acts of kindness are life changing. I’m a pediatrician so I think about little people all the time and what it means for or little guys and they can thrive and be as healthy as their peers. They can do everything they want to do and can dream of,” Bock told CBS4’s Dominic Garcia.
