Farmer City-native Madi Houser has been fighting a rare form of kidney disease since she was only 7 years old. This year, Houser's mom Kristina Forrest was able to donate one of her kidneys. Read more here -> https://bit.ly/3WkYOes

(WAND) — Farmer City-native Madi Houser has been fighting a rare form of kidney disease since she was only 7 years old. Her experience has included countless doctor's visits, medications, hours spent on dialysis, and not one but two kidney transplant surgeries.

Houser was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis also known as FSGS, which causes scarring on the kidney filters, making it difficult for blood to pass through the organ.

"When I was in 6th grade, 11 or 12 or so, things started to go downhill, and the disease progressed super-fast to where my kidneys were only functioning like 25% and I need to start dialysis," said Houser. "I got my first transplant when I was 14."

While the issues started when she was a kid, Houser — now 22 years old — was able to manage her condition with the help of her new kidney, medications, and regular blood work.

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After that first transplant, Houser remained stable for 7 years, but after contracting COVID-19 in 2021, her blood work showed that her kidneys were failing again. 

"It had come back and progressed so far that they tried to do treatment to get me into remission, but it didn't work."

Now for the second time, Houser needed a new kidney. Her mom Kristina Forrest made it her mission to help get her daughter healthy again.

"I think that you will do anything for your kids as a parent and I just wanted to make sure that I was a massive support for her," said Forrest. "Making sure that I was always there for her appointments and hospital stays. This second journey has definitely been eye opening."

In March, Forrest was able to donate one of her kidneys to Houser, giving her back her energy and making it possible to get off of dialysis. The mother-daughter duo says that going through this journey together has brought them closer. 

"We have always been close — she is my only daughter — so we're close in that sense," said Forrest. "But being able to go through all of this since she was 7, being with her all the time through her medical journey has of course made us close."

Now, two months after the surgery both mom and daughter are doing well and have been able to return to their normal lives. The pair hopes that by sharing their story, people going through similar situations will know that they can get through it by taking everything one day at a time. 

To learn more about organ and tissue donation, visit LifeGoesOn.com.

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