7-year-old with rare condition receives kidney from his mother

It was a special Mother’s Day for the Kudowitz family of Englewood.

Seven-year-old Paul was able to celebrate the holiday because of a gift his mother gave him: a kidney.

According to CBS 2 New York, Paul was born with a rare kidney condition that affects only 1 in 5,000 people. His mom, Laura, told CBS 2 that they knew it would just be a matter of time before he needed a kidney transplant and she hoped that either she or her husband, Brian, would be a match.

She told News 12, “We found out about Paul's condition in utero, and it was something we had to prepare for and we knew that there was going to be a chance that one day he would need a kidney transplant.”

Well, their prayers were answered after they were tested and found that Laura was, indeed, a match.

Since birth, Paul has undergone seven surgeries, including the successful transplant in October. Paul is susceptible to infectious exposure, so the family is hopeful that he will get to be vaccinated against COVID soon. But now, Paul can play with his three siblings and the family dog, Red, which was a present from the New Jersey Make a Wish Foundation.

Laura says that having a healthy Paul was the best Mother’s Day gift she could have possibly gotten; she told CBS, “It’s honestly a modern miracle. It’s amazing.”

If you’re interested in donating to Make a Wish New Jersey, or want to help out, visit their web page.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.