Surprise reunion brings together friends who met in dialysis
DeShawn and Jakori became best friends while waiting for kidney transplants
Pediatric clinic visits aren’t usually chaotic, but when Jakori Johnson, DeShawn Eddy, and their families found themselves scheduled for clinical follow-up visits at the same time recently, the day was suddenly overwhelming.
“The grins they had on their faces, you could tell they were on a mission,” laughs pediatric nephrologist Lyndsay Harshman, MD, MS. “I literally didn’t think I’d be able to complete either of their visits because the boys kept going back and forth between their individual exam rooms to see each other.”
It was the first time the two friends, now both 9, had been together in person outside a hospital room.
Jakori and DeShawn met in 2022 when they were both on dialysis while waiting for kidney transplants at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Jakori was born with kidney disease and had been on dialysis all his life; DeShawn was born prematurely, with underdeveloped kidneys that had started to fail, so he was just getting started. Meeting Jakori helped him get comfortable with treatment, and they quickly became friends.
“I feel like it helped both the boys, it helped them each get through it,” says Jessica Marshall, DeShawn’s mom.
The boys were in dialysis together for more than a year. They live an hour apart—Jakori is in Cedar Rapids, while DeShawn lives in Oelwein—so dialysis days were their time to play. They traded Pokemon cards—Harshman’s son would send some of his cards with her to work to give to them—played the video game Roblox, and would “compete” on who had the better blood pressure or who could stand longer.
When DeShawn got his kidney in July 2023, Jakori visited during his recovery. When Jakori got his kidney in February this year, DeShawn's mom made sure they made the trip to visit.
But while the boys stayed in contact—they would play Roblox over the phone, and DeShawn would try to visit his friend if his clinic visits fell on the same day Jakori had dialysis—that coincidental clinic visit was the first time they’d seen each other in better health.
“They were so excited to see each other. The boys and the families really wanted them to be in the same room for their clinic visit. They wanted to celebrate everything they’ve been through,” says Harshman, who is also medical director of the state’s only pediatric kidney transplant program.
They’ve since gotten together at trampoline park and Marshall and Jakori’s grandmother, Julie Christophersen, hope to get the boys together more often.
“It’s one of those heartwarming stories about what transplant does,” Harshman says. “They’re thriving, they’re doing everything 9-year-old boys should be doing because of the gift of transplant. When we see these kids who are born with kidney disease, we live the highs and lows with them.”
Harshman says the boys’ story is one of the high points of transplant.
“Theirs is a story of overcoming kidney disease and coming out with friendships and family connections that are defined by adversity.”
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