12 Dec Deraita Family Story
December 12, 2023 — Facing the daunting prospect of a kidney transplant, 12-year-old Sydney Deraita from Idaho received a glimmer of hope when she learned that her lifeline would come from none other than her own mother. Susan Deraita, Sydney’s mom, reflecting on the realization that she was a match for her daughter, shared, “It’s truly a gift that I would give a million times over.”
Sydney’s journey started with a challenging diagnosis, steering the family towards a life-saving transplant. Idaho’s limited resources for transplants prompted Susan and Sydney to make the tough choice of seeking care at the Miami Transplant Institute, thousands of miles away from home. The decision to leave their home in Idaho for medical care brought an added layer of stress to the Deraita family, leading Susan to an online support group, where she sought advice from parents and families undergoing similar challenges. Amid worries about additional expenses and uncertainties tied to leaving Idaho, a compassionate voice in the support group recommended the Ronald McDonald House in South Florida. Susan felt a sense of relief knowing there was a place where she and her daughter could recover in comfort, free from the external burdens of financial concerns and the daily chores of housekeeping. Tasks like grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry, which might not typically pose a significant challenge, take on a new weight in the midst of a critical medical procedure, making the availability of such support all the more impactful.
Reflecting on RMHC, Susan shares, “For families coming here, everyone’s dealing with a medical condition, be it minor or major. Having a place like this—a resource where everything you need is at your fingertips, lifts a tremendous weight off your shoulders, especially when your child is facing a health challenge”.
Susan and Sydney are now back home in Idaho. In the first few weeks following the procedure, Sydney’s medical team noticed remarkable changes in her weight and overall health, marking a steady path in her recovery. Today, she’s back at school and able to direct her attention to what brings her the most joy, all while witnessing the positive changes in her health, courtesy of her new kidney—a gift she owes to her superhero mom.
