Miguel Valderrama.
"The first battle we went through with my wife, Edith, was to become parents. For eight long years we fought for it, until our sons Vicente and Agustín, twins born through assisted reproduction, finally arrived.
I can't explain enough how immensely happy I was with his birth. It is also too much to explain the pain I felt when I realized that Agustín was not developing as well as his brother and that something was wrong with him.
After several medical opinions, we were given an accurate diagnosis. Agustin had one kidney unusable and the other one was functioning at 20% of its capacity. At six months of age, he was already hospitalized as an emergency patient and thus began a second family battle.
A containment network
But in the worst moments one finds real help. Like Corporación MATER, which became an important support network for us, reaching beyond what a hospital could give us.
They gave us an important foundation, together with the Sotero del Río Hospital, which added to the rigorous treatment we followed with my wife, allowed us to have Agustín for several years without the need for dialysis. Although he had to undergo more than one surgery due to his chronic renal disease.
When he was 4 years old he started with peritoneal dialysis and we also started to think about a transplant. I was always a candidate to be a donor. I never doubted that decision, nor did I question the consequences. It was something I had to do and wanted to do.
Fan of oranges
An artery disconnected from the rest of his body gave us a scare. Very scary. But a year has passed since the transplant and I can say that he is another Agustín. He has another color, another energy. He can enjoy soccer and also eat oranges, which have become his favorite fruit since then.
My son knows he is carrying something of mine with him and he takes great care of it. I take my hat off to him, because he is very clear about his condition and the importance of following the medical and pharmacological treatment to the letter.
We won another battle with this transplant, but as a family we still have many more to go. The main thing is that we have the foundation to move forward as a couple with our three children. Yes, three, because after the twins, Julian arrived. A natural pregnancy that surprised us and made us even happier.
