Georgetown toddler, 3, in need of a kidney
Three-year-old Jordyn Maddox is fighting for her life in a Philadelphia hospital while her family does everything it can to make sure she survives to live a long, full life.
Jordyn suffers from autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and is in immediate need of a kidney transplant. Jordyn has beaten the odds since the beginning, and her family and friends are hoping that luck continues.
“She is very loving, very sweet and also very feisty,” said Jordyn's mother Taylor Burden, a Georgetown resident. “She's also very intelligent for her age just because of everything she's going through.”
While Burden was pregnant, it was discovered that Jordyn developed the life threatening disease that often results in death before birth. Doctors told Burden that if Jordyn survived birth, she might not live long afterward. But now three years later, Jordyn is still fighting.
She's had one kidney removed to make room for the rest of her body to develop, and she received dialysis every night at home. But recently, Jordyn was admitted to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with an infection, and it was determined the dialysis no longer worked. Doctors have now begun hemodialysis, considered as the final step outside of a kidney transplant.
Jordyn is on the deceased donor waiting list, but nothing has come through in the last year and a half. A living donor would need to match Jordyn's blood type of B or O. The family is seeking the help of a donor in good health between 21 and 55 years old. Those interested should contact the hospital's nephrology team at 215-590-2449 or 877-ORGAN50.
A few people have stepped up to donate a kidney, but the evaluation process takes time. Burden encourages those willing and able to consider the donation, and, she said, she will not get her hopes up until there is a definite match.
A kidney from a living donor would be ideal, Burden said, because it would be easier for Jordyn's body to accept the organ and it would last much longer. Regardless of whether the kidney comes from a deceased or living donor, Jordyn will need another transplant later in her life.
Jordyn will remain in the hospital for a few more days receiving treatment, but she will be released in the near future; after that, she will have to return to CHOP at least three times a week for hemodialysis. Burden said she and Jordyn plan to stay in the Philadelphia area to remain close to her daughter's doctors.
The family is also seeking financial help to defray the cost of Jordyn's treatment, hospital stay and housing in Philadelphia. Fundraising events are in the works in Sussex County, but no details have been finalized just yet.
Burden, a Sussex Central grad, said she initially kept Jordyn's story private, but once she opened up, the support has been a pleasant boost.
“It's very surprising to see what can happen when people come together for a good cause,” she said. “It's very encouraging. It gives me hope in humanity again. You hear about all the negativity and see all these things happening around the world, but it's just uplifting to see the support we're getting.”
For more information on how to donate, go to teamjordyn.intuitwebsites.com. A Twitter and Facebook campaign has also been established to spread the word using the hashtag #TeamJordyn. The Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/teamjordyn.
