AAKP's Pediatric Kidney Pals - Feb. 2019
Meet Leandro! 
By AAKP BOD, Ambassador, Jim Myers

This is my new, young friend, Leandro Flores. He is a 14-year-old dialysis patient who is currently working to get on the transplant list at the USC's Keck Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
 
Let me tell you a little about Leandro. He is a middle school student who enjoys playing basketball and, of course, video games.

He was born with kidney issues. His kidneys failed at the age of five. He started dialysis at the age of 13 at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. He has had some difficulty adjusting to life as a kidney patient, but he works very hard to overcome obstacles. His most serious challenges are taking a bath and staying on the kidney diet. Leandro's mother and caregiver, Nicolaza Gonzales says she tries to avoid phosphorus and potassium in his diet. Leandro's favorite meal is chicken and rice.

Leandro does very well in school, but from time to time, he gets behind in his homework. He has many friends at school and church, but he is restricted from many physical activities.

For more information, you can follow Leandro on Facebook - click here.

If you are reading this newsletter, you understand there are many pediatric patients like Leandro! If you would like to share your story with AAKP, please click here to send us a message . We would love to meet you and feature you in an upcoming issue of AAKP Pediatric Kidney Pals!
In This Issue
Whole-exome sequencing identified genetic cause of kidney disease in about one-third of pediatric renal transplant patients      
 
Whole-exome sequencing identified a genetic cause of kidney disease in nearly one-third of pediatric renal transplant patients, according to a recently published study.

"It has been demonstrated in the past that up to 20% of children with chronic kidney disease have a genetic mutation in a kidney disease-causing gene," Friedhelm Hildebrandt, MD, told Healio.com/Nephrology. "In our study, we found that almost one-third of children who receive a kidney transplant at Boston Children's Hospital had an underlying genetic cause and that in several patients, identification of this genetic etiology could alter clinical management."

Click the blue button to read the full article.
PATIENT SPOTLIGHT:  Our Top 3 Picks for Inspiring News Articles about Young Patients
 
 
 
 
Click on the article titles to read these amazing stories.  Do you have an inspiring story?  Share it with AAKP by clicking below.
PREVENTION SPOTLIGHT: HER2 May Be Biomarker of Kidney Disease in Children, Teens with Lupus, Study Suggests
 
High levels of a protein called HER2 in the urine can help identify children and adolescents with lupus  who are at risk of serious kidney complications, a study suggests.

While the study is still ongoing, the finding suggests that the use of approved HER2 inhibitors such as Tyverb ( lapatinib) or Herceptin ( trastuzumab) may also be beneficial for pediatric lupus patients. Additional studies are still warranted to further confirm the therapeutic activity of these medicines for lupus patients.

Click the blue button below to read the full article

For the latest AAKP news, visit our social sites & blog:
 

Click on Update Profile below to change your AAKP newsletter preferences.