ANOTHER FIRST IN SOUTH TEXAS!

DRISCOLL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL’S
PEDIATRIC TRANSPLANT SERVICES
PERFORMS KIDNEY TRANSPLANT ON YOUNGEST AND SMALLEST BABY IN SOUTH TEXAS!

(Corpus Christi, TX) For such a tiny girl, weighing approximately 24lbs at 23 months old, Milagros Salinas has endured some very big medical problems. At 3 days old “Millie” was diagnosed with Infantile Polycystic Kidney Disease and not expected to live. She was transported to Driscoll where she was admitted into the NICU and placed on a ventilator. At one week old her kidneys were causing major problems and had to be removed. At that time she began dialysis. Facing dialysis for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week and on the Kidney transplant list for 11months. She finally received her kidney on Monday, January 28, 2008. Nephrologists had attempted to transplant Millie twice, but both times decided the kidneys were not the right ones for her tiny body.

Since her home is in Rio Grande City her and her mom moved into the hospital guestrooms. They have been living there for 9 months. Millie has spent most of her life in Driscoll Children’s Hospital. The doctors and nurses have said that it has been amazing to see her grow from a tiny infant in a crib to a nearly two year old toddler; walking and talking and everyone was extremely excited for Millie to receive her kidney.

Another hurdle Millie has to endure is liver disease. She will likely have to have a liver transplant at some point in her life. Millie is known by nearly everyone in the hospital has been seen by nephrologists, intensivists, neonatologists, orthpaedics, GI, ophthalmologist and surgeons. Many of the employees stop by dialysis just to see how Millie is doing today. She wears tiny little glasses and mom always has her dressed perfectly with hair in a bow and fingernails painted. The family has handled her situation very well. Mom has 3 other children at home in the Valley, but lives here with Millie and goes home occasionally on the weekends. Children in Millie’s situation (her age and size) usually have a 50% mortality rate, but she is doing exceptionally well.

The transplant program is the first of its kind available to young patients from throughout Corpus Christi and Nueces County area, as well as Victoria, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley offering comprehensive, state-of-the-art, pediatric kidney care. With the announcement of the first surgery, South Texas children with end-stage-renal disease will be able to receive quality nephrology and surgical care closer to home.

About Driscoll Children’s Hospital
“Improve the health of adults and you give them back their health …
Improve the health of children and you give them their life.”

Since opening its doors in 1953, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has been offering hope and healing to the children of South Texas for half a century. The facility is a 189-bed pediatric tertiary care center with pediatric board-certified specialists representing 19 medical and nine surgical specialties. Each year, more than 6,000 children are admitted for inpatient care, 5,000 for day surgery, and 50,000 for outpatient primary and specialty care, as well as 40,000 for emergency care, as the first South Texas hospital with emergency services exclusively for children. Additionally, Driscoll maintains a state-of-the-art ground/air transport team, 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit, 40-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and specialized medical outreach.

www.driscollchildrens.org

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