Advocate Christ Medical Center’s 300th kidney transplant saves 39-year-old mother’s life

Six years after watching her premature newborn son grow strong during a five-month stay in the NICU at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, it was Edith Ramirez’s turn to heal.

With a rare genetic disorder affecting kidney function – which only worsened with pregnancy – a kidney transplant was the only hope for Ramirez to live a full life, free from daily dialysis.

“After seeing the care for my son, who was born at 26 weeks but is now completely healthy, I trusted the team at Christ,” Ramirez said. She soon started seeing the nephrology and kidney transplant teams at Christ and began the long wait for her new kidney.

Earlier this summer, the wait was over. The team found a match and Ramirez returned to Christ but this time she was the patient. Her successful transplant was also a milestone for the hospital – the 300th kidney transplant.

“This was not only a life-saving moment for Edith, but a milestone for our growing program,” said transplant surgeon Dr. Dan O’Brien. “It’s wonderful to see her thriving and living her life without the constraints of dialysis.”

Ramirez, of Chicago’s Scottsdale neighborhood, said her quality of life has improved dramatically with her new kidney.

“I didn’t have energy before,” said the 39-year-old mother of two. “Now I can help with my son’s T-ball and I’ll be there for my daughter’s high school graduation next year.”

After having to leave her job at a bank due to her declining health, Ramirez is now pursuing her criminology degree with hopes to shift her career to an investigative field.

“I’m grateful for this chance to live a fuller life for myself and my children and thank the team at Christ,” she said.