When Karen Rodas and Paul Rybkin\u2019s son Nathaniel was born he lived for just 36 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was born with a rare condition called Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which causes cysts to grow in the kidneys which can lead to kidney failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The New Jersey couple had another child in 2013 Maddy who had the same condition as the couple\u2019s first child but after a two-year struggle with the disease this little girl was given a lifeline \u2013 thanks to her dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maddy Rbykin\u2019s condition had caused her stomach to swell and for the first 18 months of her life she was in and out of hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the hospital visits, tubes and oxygen treatments Maddy was doing okay, until her health started to deteriorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maddy was completely drained of energy, sleeping up to 18 hours a day and constantly vomiting, according to The Mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doctors feared she might die unless a suitable kidney donor was found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dad Paul was then identified as a match and was able to give his daughter the life-saving operation she needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith Paul and Maddy, two of my most precious souls, going under the knife, my nerves were a wreck,\u201d Karen said, according to The Mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The operation was a success and both daddy and daughter are doing well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaddy\u2019s kidney has saved our little girl,\u201d Karen added. \u201cNow, she has boundless energy. Her massive tummy now just looks a little bit rounded and she is a happy and healthy two-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A modest Paul said he would have done what any other parent would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have been on a rollercoaster \u2013 but any father would have done what I did, donating my kidney to Maddy. It\u2019s part of being a parent,\u201d he said, according to The Mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow we are on a high and can watch Maddy grow up as a happy and healthy little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maddy will need another kidney transplant in 25 years, but for her parents, that feels like a \u201clifetime away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can follow Maddy\u2019s journey here, where her mom continues to update how it goes for her daughter \u2013 it\u2019s great to see her progress and how\u2019s she doing today, in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So happy that something could be done. Bless her and her dad too!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Karen Rodas and Paul Rybkin\u2019s son Nathaniel was born he lived for just 36 hours. He was born with a rare condition called Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which causes cysts to grow … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n