CLEVELAND – Months after a Huron mother displayed a billboard for her twins pleading for kidney donors, one child is recovering from a successful transplant surgery.
In April, Beth Meadows said the billboard was a call to action her twin boys, 15-year-old Cameron and Jacob Meadows, desperately needed. Last week, the family got a call they say they have waited so long to receive.
“We got a call at 7 o’clock Saturday night saying they had a kidney for Cameron and to get to the hospital so we can get our transplant,” Meadows told WJW.
Meadows said Cameron and Jacob were born with bilateral renal dysplasia. The teens went on dialysis shortly after birth. In 2007, both boys received a kidney transplant, but as they aged their health declined.
As Cameron was receiving a new kidney, Meadows said Jacob was admitted to UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
“Jacob’s kidney is not functioning and he’s on dialysis eight hours of every day,” Meadows said.
Jacob said waiting for a kidney is one of the more painful parts of his health journey.
“It feels horrible,” he said. “I mean it was great when we got the call about Cameron, but still the time it took was really, really long, that’s the part I don’t like, the waiting for the call part.”
Meadows said learning a kidney was found for Cameron is bittersweet because it meant another families heart had to break.
“Someone lost a loved one and was willing to donate a kidney to my son,” she said as she fought back tears.
As Jacob waits for his kidney, he said he wonders if people understand how critical organ donation is for his family and others.
“It’s really, really important because you might save someone’s life, like mine,” he said with his mom’s arm wrapped around his shoulder.
