Pearl Hollan

On February 13, 2009 Pearl was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. She was suffering from congestive heart failure and doctors began to work to shrink her enlarged heart and improve her heart function. Medication helped Pearl's heart tremendously, However...
On October 26, 2009 Pearl had an ultrasound to examine a hard spot found on her right side. The ultrasound showed several cysts inside her kidneys, and the radiologist diagnosed her with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Over the next week, Pearl became very restless, started running a fever, and her abdomen began to swell. On November 5, 2009 her abdomen had swollen into her chest and back area. She had an ultrasound that determined she was actually suffering from bi-lateral kidney cancer, and not Polycystic Kidney Disease. We were again brought to St. Louis Children's Hospital by ambulance. Pearl began her fight against kidney cancer with weekly chemotherapy. On February 1st, 2010 surgeons removed her right kidney, 1/3 of her left kidney, and a portion of her liver. Pearl is now in end stage renal disease and requires dialysis at home 12 hours a day. She will have to have her other kidney removed soon so that the cancer doesn't return. She will then be on dialysis until she receives a kidney transplant which she is not eligible for until Spring of 2012. Pearl doesn't see herself as sick and often tells her parents how sad she is that the kids in the hospital are sick. She loves Dora, playing on the computer and feeding the ducks at Sequiota Park.

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Education

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