Jordan Vasquez discovered he had severe kidney damage following a routine visit to the doctor.

Twelve-year-old Jordan Vasquez had always been smaller than many of his peers. The reason was a mystery until a routine medical checkup revealed the cause — kidney damage so severe the sixth grader would require a transplant.

The young Paterson resident was born with posterior urethral valves (PUV), blockages in the tube near the bladder carrying urine from the body. While the condition didn’t seem to have any serious effects, a 2020 blood test revealed that after years of slow and silent damage from backed-up urine, his kidneys were failing.

“Pressure was building in his kidneys all that time,” said Jordan’s father, Andrew. “He was always active and playful. I saw no signs that something was wrong.”

PUV is just one anomaly that can affect the kidney and urinary tract. According to Namrata Jain, M.D., medical director of Pediatric Kidney Transplant at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, it accounts for around half of pediatric end-stage kidney failure.

The Vasquez family turned to the Children’s Hospital for his son’s care. Andrew breathed a sigh of relief when Jordan received a kidney transplant without the need for dialysis. Pediatric kidney specialists performed a living donor transplant in August 2021 and laid out plans to keep the new organ healthy.

Andrew Vasquez breathed a sigh of relief when Jordan received a kidney transplant without the need for dialysis.

Successful Surgery 

“From the beginning, I could tell Jordan’s family surrounded him with love,” Dr. Jain said. Jordan’s donor is proof positive of that. Andrew couldn’t be a donor because he had a different blood type, but Jordan’s half-sister’s grandmother was a match.

“Living donor transplants have the best long-term potential for both patients and are really the best treatment option for everyone, especially children,” said Michael Goldstein, M.D., director of the Division of Organ Transplantation at Hackensack. “With a living donor, you can avoid getting sicker from kidney failure and receive a better-functioning kidney that will last longer than deceased-donor kidneys.”

The three-hour surgery went perfectly, with Jordan’s new kidney working immediately afterward. While sore, the boy was able to go home within several days. “I felt the weight of all my worries come off my chest,” Andrew said. “I’m grateful to the doctors for the love, support and attention they gave my son.”

Jordan Vasquez received a kidney from a loved one, his half-sister’s grandmother.

On Track For a Full Recovery

Despite his recovery, the process took its toll on the whole family. Andrew needed to take time off from his job as a truck driver and Jordan had to learn how to live with a daily regimen of medicine needed to keep his body from rejecting the kidney. Regular checkups of Jordan’s kidney function reassure his family he’s on track for a full recovery.

The young sports enthusiast and video game afficionado will be home-schooling until the next academic year, but he has made great progress in the months after his transplant, growing rapidly and learning more easily than he had before. “Little by little, he’s catching up,” Andrew said. “Hopefully in another year or so, he’ll also be able to play any sport he would like.”

Because transplanted organs have a limited lifespan, Jordan will likely require another kidney, perhaps decades from now. “A transplant is a treatment, not a cure,” Dr. Jain said. “But taking care of your transplanted organ can increase its longevity.”

The young sports enthusiast and video game aficionado will be home-schooling until the next academic year, but he has made great progress in the months after his transplant, and returned to practicing karate with his father at Woolridge’s Karate & Fitness.

Next Steps & Resources

As the No. 1 children’s hospital in New Jersey, we are ready to get kids, like Jordan, back to being kids. To learn more about our world-class pediatricians, 200-plus pediatric specialists, and extensive pediatric programs, visit hackensackmeridianhealth.org/kids. 

• Meet our sources: Namrata Jain, M.D., and Michael Goldstein, M.D.
• To make an appointment with a doctor near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
• Learn more about pediatric organ transplantation program at Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health.

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.