Long road ahead a Lachlan Reed fights rare kidney disease

A mum who watched as her son was handed a lifetime of illness has launched an appeal to make the road easier for the next child who falls victim to this rare disease.

LACHLAN Reed’s family should be at home watching their bouncing baby boy learn and grow but instead they are tethered to a hospital bed as he is treated for a rare illness.

The five-month old Toowoomba lad developed bilateral cysts while in the womb and was born without proper kidney function.

It is a condition that will put Lachlan on the transplant waiting list when his little body is strong enough to endure the operation.

The doctors knew from birth that Lachlan had a hard road ahead but about five weeks ago he contracted two viruses and the shock caused his kidneys to fail.

“He stopped urinating and started vomiting quite a lot,” mum Rebecca Reed said.

“His kidneys are not doing what they are supposed to.”

Lachlan was rushed to the Renal Unit of the Queensland Children’s Hospital where he has undergone two blood transfusions, seven rounds of dialysis and is on nine medications.

“A transplant will only help in the short term,” Rebecca said.

“Lachlan will need more than one transplant and medication to make sure his body does not reject the new kidney.”

Toowoomba mum Rebecca Reed with her son Lachlan. Rebecca is encouraging everyone to get involved with the Red Sock Appeal.

It has been a trying time for the family but Rebecca said it has been made easier with help from Kidney Health Australia staff who are partnering her with a young family that have weathered the same condition.

“We have a good network of family and friends but it is good to talk to someone who has first-hand experience,” she said.

Rebecca wants to pay the organisation back for its kindness and is raising money through her daughter’s kindergarten.

She has also launched a social media campaign.

Her family is also supporting the Red Sock Appeal that kicks on Friday.

“I want to get that awareness out there so that other families know that support is there,” she said.

Of the 1.7 million Australians affected by kidney disease, 1.5 million are unaware they are living with the early signs of the disease.

The appeal calls on the public to buy red socks from Kidney Health Australia through October to fund early detection activities and support services to alleviate the impact and harm kidney disease causes.

You can also register for one of the virtual walks held in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne on October 10.

For more detail click here.