Southern Indiana 8-year-old battling kidney disease finds donor in his uncle
What This Story Is About
- A mom in Clarksville, Indiana, is counting down the days until her 8-year-old son gets a new kidney.
Why It Matters
- 8-year-old Niko Bowens is battling stage 4 chronic kidney disease.
What Happens Next
- Bowens uncle is going to be his living kidney donor
- The whole family is counting down the days to the surgery in October.
CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) - 8-year-old Nike Bowens is battling stage 4 chronic kidney disease. He’s in need of a kidney donor, but luckily for Bowens, he didn’t have to look far to find someone willing to donate a healthy kidney.
His uncle just so happens to be his living kidney donor.
Bowens is like every other 8-year-old. He likes playing with Legos, is snaggletoothed and gets extremely excited about Santa Claus.
He just has a few differences other kids don’t have.
“It feels weird because it makes you feel like you’re not really actually like human,” Bowens said.
Bowens has been battling kidney disease since he was 5 months old. It did major damage to his bladder early on.
Now, his kidneys function at only 18%. They can no longer filter waste, allowing fluid and chemicals in his blood to cause toxins to build up in his bloodstream.
“I think it’s going to be weird to have an adult kidney,” Bowens said.
His uncle, Damon Ellis, just so happens to be a match.
“He’s been poked, prodded and cut on for so long,” Ellis said. “They’ll literally get everything done, take my kidney out of my body and walk it straight to the surgery room for him.”
Although both of Bowens’ kidneys are damaged, doctors said he only needs to replace one.
“He’s got a drain in his belly button,” said Micah Allen, Bowens’ mother. “He drains himself. Sometimes it can like leak pee on his clothes, and he said that some kids say he smells like urine. That was definitely one that stuck with me. They said he was weird for having a tube.”
The whole family is counting down the days to the surgery in October.
“I would encourage people to, if you can, if you’re healthy enough, donate,” Allen said. “Save somebody’s life.”
For more information on how to support their family, click here.
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