Archie’s arrival was difficult, but brother Sascha’s was even more traumatic.
For anyone receiving a kidney disease diagnosis it is devastating — there is no cure.
It can be especially shocking when it is unexpected or when a baby or a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness.
Unfortunately, this is what happen to Emma and Tim.
When they found out they were expecting a baby, happiness soon turned to shock. When at their 20-week ultrasound they were given the shocking news - their baby had a serious problem with his kidneys.
“Looking back, I'm not sure how I did it. I just had to keep going - it was so stressful. The first year was horrendous.” Emma told me.
Emma said seeing your tiny baby suffer and in pain is something no parent should have to experience; it was heart wrenching.
Two years later, Archie’s baby brother, Sascha, was born. Every prenatal test came up perfect. But just five days after a traumatic birth, Sascha was also diagnosed with kidney disease.
“At least with Archie, we knew he was going to be unwell; we knew he'd be in NICU. They prepared us for the worst. With Sascha, I had a more traumatic birth, and the news hit me harder. The shock of thinking, we’re doing this all over again… was devastating.”
Children like Archie and his family face many ups and downs as they navigate a lifetime of challenges due to kidney disease.
"As a mum, it’s been really, really hard to watch them go through pain, fear and disappointment. Lots of medication, surgery and needles. Feeling tired, missing out on fun, not being able to keep up with friends.
We’ve only recently connected with Kidney Health Australia, and it has been life-changing for us and our boys.
I wish we had connected earlier. When Archie was small, the emotional toll was huge. We were so isolated, stuck at home with a very sick little boy.
Late last year, Archie was getting quite depressed. He is only 10 and as a parent it is heartbreaking to hear that.
He told me he felt like he was 'the only one'. I found the KidneyHealth4Youth Program and we attended a camp as part of the Es-Capers event. We met other kids with kidney disease and families just like us. It was so good to talk to other people who have lived this experience. Archie had so much fun and told me he didn’t feel so alone anymore."Make a life changing difference to more families here
The impact of chronic kidney disease is lifelong - there is no cure. Your kind gift can help make a real difference to families and little kids like Archie who have been impacted by kidney disease.