The center has performed more living-donor kidney transplants than any other kidney program in the United States and was the first in the southeast to begin using KPD . The difference was that Daniel would experience all of this from a patient ’ s perspective .
“ It helped knowing the staff , because in some ways I wished I did not know about the possible complications ,” Daniel says . “ This is where I work , and I fully trust my colleagues here . I ’ ve seen their expertise and how they care for patients , so I knew Josh and I were in good hands .”
‘ How Do I Become a Patient ?’ Kacy was pregnant at the time Daniel and Josh were making preparations for the donor swap . In July , she suddenly went into labor . She recalls the shock of that day .
“ We don ’ t know why , but I went into labor at 22 weeks and 2 days , which is dangerously early ,” Kacy says . “ I was at work that day , so I headed straight to the Emergency Department . I didn ’ t know how to get in from the patient side , so I just badged in and asked someone , ‘ How do I become a patient ?’ They got me to the UAB Women & Infants Center . I was put on bed rest . The care team tried to prolong my pregnancy and stop labor , and did have some success , so Lucy was born on July 6 at exactly 23 weeks .”
Kacy and the care team had hoped to extend her pregnancy , mainly because delivery at 23 weeks is a high-risk situation for infants . Barely more than half of babies born so early survive . Multiple complications can arise , since babies that young are not prepared to breathe and take nourishment . They are at great risk of infection , lung collapse , pneumonia , bleeding in the brain , and many developmental delays . Good outcomes are rare .
Fortunately for baby Lucy Tucker , she was receiving care from a team of specialists with the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ( RNICU ) at the UAB Women & Infants Center . The RNICU is equipped with advanced practices and technology to care for high-risk newborns and provide continuous inpatient care for premature and sick infants . Neonatology and maternal-fetal medicine specialists are immediately available in house around the clock , every day of the year . UAB ’ s survival rate and rate of survival without handicap for all premature babies are among the highest in the country . The RNICU Golden Week program was designed for very vulnerable , extremely premature infants , such as the Tucker ’ s baby , to provide specialized and specific care .
Even though Kacy knew her baby was in the best possible place during a crisis , she recognized the challenges ahead .
“ As far as her hospital course goes and considering the circumstances , Lucy had the easiest stay she could have had ,” Kacy says . “ There were no surgeries , and she made a little progress each week . Lucy was there for 119 days , so there were a few scares . The worst was when her breathing tube became so clogged that her oxygen saturation dropped , and CPR was required . The care team replaced her breathing tube . She began to develop retinopathy , which is sometimes caused by oxygen therapy for infants . We were praying that she wouldn ’ t get any infections , and of course the pandemic added to those worries .”
A Successful Complication Lucy continued to make developmental progress , eat and gain weight , and require less oxygen flow in her breathing tube . After a while , Lucy no longer required oxygen therapy . Daniel and Kacy weren ’ t able to hold their baby until Lucy was three weeks old . The staff are skilled at providing opportunities for parents to be close and bond with their babies despite technical barriers .
A short time later , Daniel and Josh learned that a donor match had been found . Kacy remembers the feelings the family shared about the timing of these medical events .
“ Daniel jokingly prepared me that we were going to get a call about a donor match while I was in the hospital on bed rest ,” Kacy says .
The Tuckers received that call three weeks after Lucy was born , and Josh was concerned about the sudden turn of events .
ORGANS – KIDNEY uabmedicine . org / refertransplant 23