Manitoba teen adopted from Ukraine in need of kidney transplant
A Steinbach area teen is hoping for the gift of life.
Thirteen-year-old Fallon Steeves found out she was in end-stage renal failure not long after she was adopted from Ukraine in mid-2020.
She is one of 11 children adopted by Sharon and Rob Steeves from the same orphanage.
"I actually had, really, fun with them, that's why when they asked me if they wanted to adopt us I say, ‘yes,’ because they are really good parents," said Fallon.
Fallon has been waiting on the transplant list ever since. Sharon said finding a kidney donor is proving to be a challenge because the family doesn't know her full family history and Fallon’s blood type is B positive, which is rare.
Sharon said Fallon has been on the waitlist longer than most kids and the last ten weeks or so have been very rocky for Fallon’s health.
“Normally kids get a kidney before anybody else because they're children, but because Fallon is a very rare blood group, they haven’t been able to find a match," she said.
The Steeves have also unsuccessfully tried to find a living donor among family and friends.
They’ve been waiting for a match for several years now and Fallon's medication depletes the family's drug coverage in only a few months.
Each night she goes to bed early and is hooked up to dialysis that cleans her blood while she sleeps. There are many things she would rather be doing.
"I want to watch a movie or play a board game or something like that," said Fallon.
"Since she came to Canada she hasn’t really experienced what real family life is, because we've had to hook her up to a machine for 11 hours every night," said Sharon.
The Steeves are hoping their story compels someone to become a living kidney donor even if the organ goes to someone else on the list.
"There are lots of kids on the transplant list that need kidneys and if you’re a younger person and you're healthy, consider being a kidney donor," said Sharon.
But if Fallon finds a match, she would get to play sports and be a more independent teenager without being tied to a machine.
"I would be really happy and I would really be thankful for the person who gave me a kidney," she said.
More information on living kidney donation can be found through Transplant Manitoba.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.