Living with Kidney Diseases

Ashley was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease(PKD). She inherited this disease from her grandmother and mother. While Ashley’s mother received a kidney transplant, Ashley was not experiencing any difficulties with the disease. Regular check-ups indicated that she was in good health.

Ashley just finished her first year of college. She was 19 years old, and was at home one evening with her parents; having dinner, watching a movie and scrapbooking with her Mom. Shortly after saying goodnight to her parents, they heard a loud noise coming from her room. When they went to check on her, she was lying on the floor face down with no movement. Her mother went to turn her over and she was unconscious, and unable to breathe.

After calling 911, paramedics came and rushed Ashley to the hospital. Her condition was critical. She had suffered a brain aneurysm and doctors advised family members that Ashley may not live. Her only chance of survival was to transport her to another hospital more equipped to handle the severity of her brain trauma.

It was confirmed that Ashley’s aneurysm was located at the top of her brain stem. The severity of this aneurysm also caused her to suffer a mid-brain stroke

In the hospital, Ashley’s brain began to swell and no medical procedures could reduce the swelling. Her neurosurgeon advised that he could save her life by removing her forehead. Ashley was in critical condition after the surgery and spent 16 weeks in the Intensive Care Unit before she could breathe on her own and be transported to a rehabilitation hospital.

Ashley is now 20 years old, and today she is in a wheel chair. She is unable to move her head, arms, and legs on her own. She needs extensive occupational and physical therapy She works hard to improve and one day she would like to return to school to continue her studies in event planning. Her dream is to work in the hotel industry.

There is a risk of brain aneurysms with PKD. The risk factor seems to be minimal in patients without a family history of brain aneurysms. In addition, regular medical check ups showed no progression of PKD, and Ashley had no warning signs of an aneurysm developing.

Ashley’s neurosurgeon said that we can’t be definite that PKD is the causing factor for her aneurysm but in his career, he does another PKD patient who suffered an aneurysm at Ashley’s age.

The mid-brain stroke is responsible for her neurological deficits today and it could take 3-5 years for her recover.

Ashley is blessed with the love and devotion of her parents and while her abilities have changed, her response to progression in her abilities is “Because I Can”,and her voice and laughter are music to her parents ears.