6-Year-Old's Poster Campaign Helps Mom Get Kidney
Massachusetts girl led effort to publicize mom's dire health condition.
May 26, 2014— -- A Massachusetts mother of two underwent successful kidney transplant surgery thanks to her 6-year-old adopted daughter, who launched a poster campaign to find a kidney in her mom’s behalf, officials at Tufts Medical Center said today.
Jenny Williams, 50, who was born with only one functioning kidney, had transplant surgery in 1990, but her kidney began failing again in 2011. She was placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant in Massachusetts alongside nearly 2,200 others, according to hospital officials.
Williams had endured grueling overnight dialysis sessions three times a week since 2011, leaving her exhausted and her family hurting in her absence. “She is on dialysis and, normally, I don’t want her to go,” 6-year-old daughter Jocelyn told ABC News Affiliate WCVB-TV in Boston.
So young Jocelyn took matters into her own hands, drawing posters in crayon in an effort to find her mom a kidney.
“Jenny’s kidney sign,” one poster read. “Mom Jenny needs a kidney,” it says directly above a rainbow and a stick figure inside of a red heart. The poster then lists the Williams' home phone number.
Jocelyn, whom Williams and her husband, David, adopted when she was 2 days old, brought her posters to the First Church of West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The church promptly began its own campaign in Williams’ behalf, distributing fliers and raising awareness of Williams’ need.
A kidney became available Friday, after being removed from a living donor who had suffered a stroke.
“Everything is a perfect match,” Williams’ sister Leslie Anderson told The Enterprise newspaper. “Jenny asked for the people at her church to say a prayer for the donor’s family. It’s a good for Jenny but sad for their family.”
Williams had successful transplant surgery Friday afternoon and is listed in good condition at Tufts Medical center. She could possibly be discharged as early as Tuesday, hospital spokesman Jeremy Lechan said.
“She is doing great, the kidney kicked in yesterday. It’s working fine,” Lechan told ABC News. “The family is thrilled, they were so happy she finally got a kidney and can put this ordeal behind them.”