Family of Leeds baby searches for kidney donor

LEEDS—At just a year old, Hanley Neville of Leeds has already spent more than seven months of her life in the hospital.

Hanley was born with end stage renal disease and her family is desperately hoping to find her a living kidney donor.

“We believe Hanley’s match is out there and until we find her match Hanley is currently enduring a 12-hour, life-sustaining dialysis treatment daily while she waits for a kidney transplant,” said her mom, Tara Neville.

That dialysis is done at home, but Hanley is constantly getting blood work done and has several medical appointments each week. It has also affected her development, causing her to need physical, occupational and feeding therapies.

“Hanley is on several medications to compensate for her failing kidney,” Neville explained. “She was only born with one.”

Hanley has type O blood which any potential donor would also need to have. So far, no one in her family has proven to be a match.

And despite their tiny size, babies can receive adult kidneys.

“Hanley is almost a little over 20 pounds and needs to be at least 22 pounds to be added to the [donor] list,” Neville said.

“We are starting to ask for donors as we are getting closer and closer every day,” she added. “I know this process could be very lengthy with all the tests donors need to go through to ensure they’re healthy enough to give a kidney—and of course for Hanley to receive, she has to go through several tests.”

In addition to having type O blood, a donor would need to have normal kidney function, no history of high blood pressure and be at least 18 years old.

Across the country, there are nearly 30,000 kidney transplants done each year. But only 800 to 900 of those recipients are children.

“As a mom, I have another child and she’s almost three. I am juggling all the appointments and dialysis between caring for her as well,” Neville explained, adding that she and her husband rely heavily on the help of family.

“It really does take a village,” she said.

Right now, their lives revolve around Hanley’s dialysis, tight medication schedule and multiple weekly appointments.

“I always say I feel like I’ve become a nurse overnight which I’ve never expected to happen. A lot of the time, it still doesn’t feel real that all of this is happening,” Neville said.

“There were a couple times we didn’t think Hanley was going to come home from the hospital, as one ICU doctor had mentioned Hanley may take her last breath on dialysis. This changed me as a mother forever,” she said.

Anyone who would like to be considered as a potential donor for Hanley can visit https://www.lahey-livingdonor.org.

“We mainly are looking for the community to spread the word,” said Neville. “Every share allows the conversation to continue. We are hoping that someone can give Hanley the life that she deserves so that she could grow up beside her sister.”