Cruz receives the best present ever
Nine-year-old Cruz was born with a rare kidney condition and has been an Evelina London patient all his life. He visited the hospital four times a week for dialysis before receiving a kidney transplant in December 2021 – something he describes as “the best present ever”.
Like a second family
The hospital became a home from home for Cruz, who spent so much of his childhood on the dialysis ward. Evelina London’s amazing team made the family’s time in hospital easier, helping to take away much of the stress and anxiety.
“Cruz’s medical team have known him since he was a baby and they are like a second family. They would do anything to help us smile and even sang Cruz his very own song whenever he was upset or scared,” says Debbie, Cruz’s mum.
“Evelina London’s the best! It’s like my other home.”
Remarkable one-to-one support
Thanks to the remarkable care at Evelina London, Cruz didn’t miss out on school. During his dialysis, Cruz had one-to-one lessons at the hospital. “It really paid off as he’s doing so well in maths! And he got full marks in a recent spelling test – I’m so proud of him,” says Debbie.
The compassionate staff made dialysis sessions easier too. The hospital’s play specialists entertained the children on the ward, which provided much-needed distractions. Thanks to our generous supporters, our team of play specialists are equipped with engaging toys and games for children of all ages, and receive world-leading training.
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“I’m incredibly grateful to Evelina London and there's no other place that I would rather have had my boy cared for.”
Living life to the full
Since having his transplant, Cruz is enjoying doing things he couldn’t do while on dialysis. “I can now play football and love scoring goals. I’ve started swimming lessons and can run around as much as I like,” he explains.
After the operation, Cruz couldn’t wait to take part in the British Transplant Games. He joined a team of other transplant recipients and even won two medals. “I wanted to prove to everyone just what I could do. My mum said she was so proud. Because of Evelina London, I know I can do anything I want to,” says Cruz.
Evelina London provides over 1,300 specialist dialysis treatments for patients with long-term kidney conditions every year.
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