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'She's Been Crying, Having Dreams of Death:' Setback for Girl to Receive Kidney from Teacher

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Earlier this year the story of 10-year-old Eva Evans of Reynoldsburg, Ohio went viral after a teacher she'd never met offered to donate a kidney to her.

But doctors now say Eva's body is likely to reject the kidney due to an infection.

"Unfortunately as the result of the infection that she somehow obtained, she developed antibodies against the kidney that was almost a perfect match," Eva's mother Alana Brown told CBN News.  "There was a less than three percent chance of rejection. Now they're saying it's as high as sixty-five percent."

Eva suffers from a rare disease called collapsing Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and needs a kidney transplant. Doctors said her kidney is functioning at only 4 percent and and no one in her family is a match.

In May, a family friend posted Eva's urgent need on Faceook and Tanya Thomas, a teacher at Eva's school, stepped in to donate one of her kidneys.

Brown had seen Thomas' decision as a miraculous answer to prayer. 

Now she says the family is heartbroken at the news that Eva needs a new donor.

"Eva's having nightmares, not sleeping well," she said. "And she's been crying, having dreams of death and dying. She said, 'Mommy you told me if I trusted God everything would be ok.' And she said, 'it's not and I lost my faith.'"   

"And I don't know what to say to that," continued Brown.  "I just try to tell her hold on. There  has to be a reason. He's going to bring a better kidney. But even if we find a donor today, that workup takes several months. It could be at least six months before she gets that transplant and that means six more months of pain and suffering and connected to a machine, and not being able to play with kids as normal and not being able to eat normally. How do I look my daughter in the face and just tell her you have to continue to suffer?"

Brown said she's trying to keep the faith for her and her daughter.

"I'm devastated and I have a mustard seed left and that's all I have left," she said. "I'm trusting that He's going to come on time. But I'll be honest, devil's busy and he's trying to shake me, but I'm clinging to that mustard seed." 

Brown says despite not being able to give Eva a kidney now, Thomas has agreed to something called organ share. 

"What that means is if there's someone else who has a family member in need of a kidney that matches Tanya's and they have a kidney that matches Eva, she'll give the kidney to their family member if they'll give their kidney to Eva."

Meanwhile, a Go Fund Me page has been set up to help with expenses and to share information about Eva's journey. 

Brown is encouraging prayers for her daughter.

"I want obviously to pray for a kidney, the right kidney for Eva, and soon - to pray for her to be healed of this pain, she has an abdominal tear that makes her dialysis extremely painful and we're concerned that she may not be able to tolerate dialysis much longer which makes it life critical," she explained.  "Pray for her to be able to hold on until that right kidney is available -- and that when that kidney comes, there's no rejection."

Eva's surgery was scheduled for July 18.


             

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