Yesterday, I received some distressing news. Brayden's nephrologist, Dr. Mericarmen Malagon-Rogers is shutting down her dialysis clinic. There will be no pediatric dialysis at University of Tennessee Medical Center. She hadnt told us yet (We are supposed to go see her next week and I figured she would tell us then) but another Mom got to it first. I am glad she did but so sad that it is happening.
Dr. Malagon started at UT in 1985. Since that time, UT has done 85 pediatric kidney transplants.....85! 85 kids under the age of 18! OBVIOUSLY there is a need for a pediatric kidney transplant program. From what I was told, Dr. Malagon asked UT for help with the clinic, she asked to get another Peds Neprologist to help her with call and rounding on her kids. Dr. Malagon has a family practice office also that she must share her time with. This has become increasingly hard for her with the increased amount of kids that she has had. The 3 youngest, Brayden-Brandon-Summer, came in last year within 4 months of each other. Brandon and Summer ended up being on Hemo for several months and Summer was on until just last month. She took wonderful care of these kids. If it weren't for her, there is a big possibility that neither one of them would be here.
If Dr. Malagon had not been Brayden's doctor, I dont think he would be where he is today. It was always in the back of my mind that there was the possibility that we might lose our precious baby boy but it never crossed the front of my mind because of Dr. Malagon. I never had to worry that my boy would get so sick that we might lose him, I knew that she would catch it before it got that bad. I worried alot but I worried less because of her.
It also occurred to me that Brayden was the last pediatric patient to be transplanted at UT. Without Dr. Malagon to do dialysis, there wont be any transplants goin on. The new dialysis kids will have to go to Atlanta, Vanderbilt, or Erlanger. When/If we have to go back on dialysis before Brayden's next transplant, if Dr. Malagon isnt doing dialysis still, then we will do dialysis at Vandy and then try to transplant at UT with our docs.
Dr. Malagon will continue to see the post transplant kids but I just cant help but think that eventually there will be kids that are going to need her and she wont be able to help them because she is over-extended already. Dr. Malagon asked UT for help, they wouldnt help her. She asked East Tennessee Children's Hospital if they wanted to take over the dialysis program and they declined. SO, the dialysis program will go away.
Its a shame and I would say almost a crime that these huge hospitals wont help her out and save so many more kids lives.
Im just glad we got to be fixed before she had to quit! Thanks Dr. Malagon
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