Zack enjoys first day of school just a year after kidney transplant
Jessica and Michael Stone with their son Zack on his first day of school. Picture: John Allen
The first day of school holds a place of importance in every parent’s heart, but for one Cork family, this day brought an extra layer of emotions, after their son underwent a lifesaving organ donation.
As five-year-old Zack walked in the gates of Mallow Community National School, it was hard to believe less than a year had passed since he had undergone extensive dialysis treatment before receiving a successful kidney transplant from his father, Michael.
The past five years have been filled with many trials and tribulations for the family, who had chosen Ireland as their forever home more than a decade ago after landing jobs in Cork.
Zack’s mother, Jessica Stone, originally from East Sussex in England, spoke about her son’s medical journey, describing the moment he was urgently transferred to Temple Street Children's Hospital after falling ill following his birth.
This hospital acted as almost "a second home" for her son over the next few years, she explained.
Before long, Zack was diagnosed with acute renal failure, one multicystic dysplastic kidney, and renal dysplasia, meaning his kidneys had not fully developed and so a kidney transplant was unavoidable.
"This marked the beginning of a series of hospital stays and medical challenges,” she said.
Zack’s parents did not just have one child to care for.
The couple was forced to juggle the needs of their then two-year old daughter Ellie in between constant commutes back and forth from their home in Mallow and the hospital in Dublin.
Zack’s father, Michael, originally from Strasbourg in France, said Tuesday's milestone is “a testament to our family’s journey for the past five years”.
The day of the successful transplant, on October 3, 2022, is a date the family will never forget.
Jessica spoke about her "terrifying" thoughts as she waited in Temple Street while her husband Michael underwent surgery to donate his kidney across Dublin in Beaumont Hospital.
"I sat in an empty hospital room for hours," she said.
"We didn’t know if it was going to work because its not a guarantee and they were very clear about that".
"Waiting for news about both Michael and Zack felt like the longest day of my life, but looking at them now, it was all worth it".
The successful surgery meant that Zack no longer had to undergo nightly sessions of dialysis, something he had endured since his third birthday.
"The dialysis is really tough going, Jessica said.
Due to the sterile conditions necessary to prevent infection, it was difficult to ensure Zack did not touch the equipment while it was getting set up, leading to an "emergency" and the family needing to get to Dublin as soon as they could.
"At 10 o'clock at night, it's not really what you want to do," she said.
Michael described his choice to donate his kidney as “a natural step” as a father, something he does not consider “a grand gesture, but as an extension of my role”.
Zack’s life has miraculously improved since receiving a new kidney, allowing him to begin a new chapter of education, meet new friends, and live the life of a healthy five-year-old boy.
"He’s flying up the charts in height and learning to eat also. As a renal patient, children feel very nauseous," Jessica said.
“Transplantation isn’t a cure, but it is an amazing treatment that gives us a news sense of normality. It’s about quality of life, about giving hope where it is needed most,” Michael added.
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