A multi generational illness - Stephen Hayton

The Hayton family has fought to understand the nature of our kidney disease for many years. The disease has impacted multiple generations, with 10 transplants in the family since 1977. I was diagnosed with stage 2 kidney disease in 2015, at the age of 23. By 2020 my illness had already gotten to the point where I needed a kidney transplant or dialysis to continue living. Fortunately, my wonderful wife stepped up to donate an almost perfectly matched kidney.

2020 turned out to be a year of hope for my family: we also learned from Dr. Bleyer's team that there was a name for the kidney disease that affected me and many others across multiple generations (MUC1). Not only that, at the same time I learned that there was a potential treatment under investigation, and that would mean my children would never have to go through the same illness as I did. It is an incredible feeling to finally make the connection to Dr. Bleyer and the Rare Kidney Disease Foundation. My goal is now to help other families feel the same hope as mine