Topeka child gets life-saving kidney transplant
TOPEKA (KSNT) - Two-year-old Tayzlee Mellott received a life-changing surgery on July 11 of this year to help improve her quality of life, brightening her future.
When Tayzlee was born, she was diagnosed with a multicystic dysplastic kidney, meaning she was born with one kidney that was filled with cysts, preventing the kidney from functioning correctly.
Amanda Mellott, Tayzlee's mother, told 27 News that it all started when she was 20 weeks pregnant. She began receiving amniotic infusions twice a week until 31-32 weeks into her pregnancy. Once Tayzlee was born, she began dialysis at just two days old.
The Mellott family would commute 5 days a week to Children's Mercy in Kansas City, where she would then get dialysis for 4 hours.
After years of waiting, Tayzlee received the long-awaited kidney transplant on July 11th. Amanda said she has been in great spirits since the surgery and is excited to see her do things she could not do before.
"She has handled it really well, she's a really happy baby. Like even the doctors will say this little girl is so happy, she's always making all the doctors laugh up there. For all that she's been through, she doesn't let it stop her in any way."
With the transplant done, Tayzlee will no longer have to receive dialysis.
The family hosted a fundraiser on July 31 at Hellraisers to raise money for medical costs and Tayzlee's future. Hellraisers told the family whatever they raised, Hellraisers would match that amount and donate it to the donor's family.