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By MARK KENNEDY, Chattanooga Instances Free Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Shafer Daves’ siblings — Shayli, 19, Sharayah, 17, Shanel, 15, and Shaw, 14 — have identified for years {that a} day would possibly come after they may every develop into their little brother’s life preserver.
Shafer, an 11-year-old Chattanooga boy and the youngest baby of Jada and Kevin Daves, has a uncommon situation referred to as Denys-Drash Syndrome that causes him to wish a kidney transplant about each 10 years.
He’s home-schooled and has a feeding tube to maintain his kidneys hydrated, in line with his mother, however he’s in any other case a full-of-life 11-year-old.
In the summertime of 2011, at age 20 months, Shafer obtained a life-saving kidney from his mom. However there have been factors in his infancy when docs thought Shafer had just a few weeks to reside. Aggressive most cancers, which is commonly related to the syndrome, was a relentless worry. Solely about 200 circumstances of the syndrome have been recorded on the planet.
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For a decade, a few of Shafer’s older siblings have been eager about what they’d do when it got here time for one in every of them to step ahead to donate a kidney.
Once they had been nonetheless younger youngsters, his older siblings promised to be donor candidates after they reached the age of consent. They’d line as much as hold Shafer secure, they promised. They usually have by no means wavered.
Really, his sister Shayli, who was 9 on the time of Shafer’s first transplant, wished to present him one in every of her kidneys in 2011.
“We gotta have Mother,” she informed one in every of her brother’s docs, not eager to threat her mom’s life in the course of the process. “Please take my kidney. I do know Jesus.”
Effectively, the time has nearly come for an additional donation and Shayli, a rising junior at Lee College now, is first in line to be examined. There’s a 25% probability she can be a suitable donor, the docs mentioned. If she just isn’t, one other sister, Sharayah, who will flip 18 in October, has her hand as much as be examined, as nicely.
“Now we have two siblings (of age) earlier than we go exterior the household,” mentioned Shafer’s mom, Jada. “We really feel assured {that a} sibling goes to be a donor.”
Shafer’s kidneys at the moment are performing at about 25% of regular, his mother mentioned. When his kidney perform dips to 15%, he would require dialysis, she mentioned.
The Daves suppose that inside a couple of months they must set the transplant course of in movement. Numerous testing and counseling help goes into the arduous course of.
Within the meantime, the household not too long ago marked the 10-year anniversary of Shafer’s first transplant with a back-to-school bowling get together, which was additionally a fundraiser to help along with his medical bills. The occasion raised nearly $25,000, together with $10,000 from a Center Tennessee retailer proprietor who met Jada Daves when she was on a buying journey to Franklin, Tennessee.
Jada mentioned she not too long ago met Christina Martin, proprietor of the Philanthropy clothes boutique in Franklin, and the 2 instantly shaped a bond.
Martin, who blends her enterprise and religion, would say later she felt led by God to assist the household. She and her husband, Christopher Martin, give $50,000 or extra a yr from the shop’s proceeds to charity, in line with the Philanthropy web site.
Shafer is an completed singer and was invited to sing the nationwide anthem on the TSSAA basketball match in Center Tennessee final yr that was in the end canceled by COVID-19.
“I inform those that the wonder that comes from parenting a sick baby is that you simply see what it does for the opposite youngsters,” mentioned Jada, who has a doctorate from Vanderbilt College and operates an inspirational talking and coaching agency. “Our youngsters have develop into higher due to Shafer.
“We inform our story as a result of it provides encouragement to different households,” she mentioned. “The group has confirmed us a lot love and kindness and generosity. There’s a lot craziness round, however the world remains to be spinning and it’s nonetheless an important place.”
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