5-year-old girl receives kidney from mom’s best friend
Friend’s unsolicited donation gives 5-year-old with nephrotic syndrome a second chance
MISSOURI (Aging Untold) — A 5-year-old girl diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome is recovering after receiving a kidney from her mother’s best friend — a donation that was never requested.
Bree Bridges spent a year and a half on nightly dialysis while attending school and waiting for a transplant. Her mother, Shannon Bridges, said the routine became a way of life.
“She’s lived this life for a year and a half of me doing dialysis every night. She was going to school, she was doing all this. She was living what life she could,” Shannon Bridges said.
Friend steps up without being asked
When Bree was placed on the transplant list, her mother’s best friend, Jamie Rogers, decided on her own to get tested as a potential donor. Rogers was a match.
“I think I waited a few days and I’m like, have you heard yet? Please tell me you’ve heard!” Rogers said.
The surgeries were coordinated at two hospitals simultaneously — Rogers donating at one facility while Bree received the kidney at another. Both have since recovered.
Aging Untold expert weighs in on the act of showing up
Amy O’Rourke, an aging expert, said Rogers’ decision reflected a deeper pattern of friendship.
“It was so touching and so moving. It would never have dawned on her to not take that action for her friend. That comes from a history of having been there,” O’Rourke said.
O’Rourke added that meaningful support does not have to begin with a grand gesture.
“The way to show up is to observe what they need, decide to make a commitment that you really can stick to. That selfless act will give your friend a lot but it will also deepen your own connection to that person,” O’Rourke said.
Bree looks ahead
Bree continues to go in weekly for lab work following the transplant. Shannon Bridges said the outcome has changed what the future looks like for her daughter.
“There are no feelings in the world that can describe what Jamie did to my family. My daughter gets to live the rest of her life like a normal kid,” Shannon Bridges said.
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