Margaret Drewes accomplished something many mothers cannot claim.
She gave her son life — twice.
Everett was born with a rare condition called Eagle-Barett syndrome, characterized by underdeveloped abdominal muscles and abnormalities in the urinary tract system that lead to kidney complications. Before he was born, doctors anticipated that he would need a kidney transplant.
At 3 years old, Everett received a kidney from his father, Matthew Drewes. Unfortunately, it failed a few days later. In the process of trying to save the kidney, Everett suffered heart damage, making him ineligible for the kidney transplant waitlist. Placed on dialysis, the family waited for his heart to heal.
Once the family received the thumbs-up, Everett joined the kidney transplant list and so did his mom.
“Once he was stable enough, and his heart was repaired, he was back on the list for donation, and I listed with him,” said Margaret Drewes, who chose to participate in a kidney donation chain.
The chain is a system where a series of incompatible living donor-recipient pairs are connected, allowing recipients to receive a compatible kidney from an altruistic donor.
Finding a match for Everett kicked off a chain that eventually involved six people.
Drewes is not sure where she and Everett fell in the string of events but is aware that her kidney went to someone in Virginia, while Everett’s kidney came from Pennsylvania.
On April 9, Everett underwent his second lifesaving kidney transplant.
For the first time in his life, Everett has a fully functioning kidney.
“We are so grateful that he has been given this second chance at life,” said his mom, Margaret Drewes. “This one is looking like a success, and we are hopeful it continues.
“It is fun to see how well he is doing. He has more energy than ever, and he is so positive each morning, full of enthusiasm for the day and so cheerful.
“I’d call it an elevated version of him because he has always been a positive and happy kid. I thought he had energy before, but this is like Everett 2.0. You can really tell that he feels good.”
Drewes, chief business officer and associate operating officer for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been at VUMC for 14 years.
Donating a kidney is a major surgery, requiring a four-to-six-week recovery. Drewes, a marathon runner, said it was easier than she anticipated and has returned to running and weightlifting.
“The need is so great,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how many people are waiting for kidneys. We only need one, and if you are a candidate, it’s an incredible gift because you are literally saving someone’s life. The donating process is so thorough, too. I mean they are very focused on the donor’s health and risks.”
Though they were longtime registered organ donors via the driver’s license application, neither parent was familiar with living donation, which was brought into focus with Everett. They both hope to encourage others to consider it.
For now, the family is looking forward to celebrating Everett’s 5th birthday on June 19 with a pool party with family and friends.
“This will be the first time he doesn’t have any restrictions with food. He is so excited to be able to enjoy the things that he previously could only have in small, small quantities — milk, cheese, ice cream and bananas.
“We are so used to seeing him on dialysis or with a partially functioning kidney. This is the first time he has a fully functioning kidney, and it’s remarkable.”
