Push to find kidney for Lynchburg toddler

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Magnolia Maglosky acts like any other 16-month-old, only she’s living without a functioning kidney.

Sydney  and Tyler Maglosky, Magnolia’s parents, were told before she was born  that she most likely wouldn’t survive through the night.

“We  were told that it was most likely that she would only live a few hours  after birth and so there was a lot of unknown.” the mom said.

Magnolia  was born on Aug. 31, 2021. She was immediately intubated and whisked  away to the NICU. She was too small to start dialysis.

“A  lot of fear was going. The unknown of what’s going to happen. ‘Are we  going to be able to meet our baby?’ A lot of concern and unknown,” Tyler  Maglosky said.

After  five weeks in the NICU, Magnolia came home and was able to meet her  five other siblings for the first time. But at that time, her fight was  just beginning.

Now,  Magnolia and her mom travel 70 miles each way from Lynchburg to  Charlottesville to get dialysis treatments. Tyler stays home with the  other children, or they go to their grandparents’ house.

Magnolia’s siblings like to help out in any way they can.

“They all know how to hook up her feeds and give meds and so they really enjoy being a part of her care,” Sydney Maglosky said.

Every time Magnolia does dialysis she is losing blood and has required frequent blood transfusions. Magnolia needs someone with type-B or type-O blood to be a kidney donor so her life can be saved.

Her mom created a gofundme page to try and ease some of the burdens a potential kidney transplant  would cost. The page came across, Brian Martindale, who founded the  non-profit Kidneys for Kids.

Martindale  founded the organization after becoming donating a kidney of his own.  He saw a mother on the corner with a sign that read ‘Help, please. My  daughter needs a kidney! She’s 10 years old, I can not lose her.’

Martindale  contacted the University of Michigan where at the time, Jessica  Schwerin was on the list for a kidney transplant. After some tests,  doctors told Martindale his kidney was a 1 in 100,000 match, similar to  being siblings.

Ten years later, Martindale and Schwerin have remained friends.

“He gave me my childhood. He was my hero. He is my hero,” Schwerin said.

After  his transplant, Martindale wanted to spread awareness about the need  for kidney donations all across America. When he saw Magnolia’s story,  he knew he wanted to step in and help.

“I  called Jessica and I said we need to advocate. We need to make sure  this little one gets a living kidney donor and we’re just here to tell  why someone should come forward like I did and be Magnolia’s hero in  this case,” Martindale said.

He ended up getting in contact with Magnolia’s parents and created a videosharing the child’s story.

“When  you’re not in this situation you don’t how dire it is but he also  wasn’t in this situation til he donated and he saw that and wanted to  give that child at the time a new life,” Tyler Maglosky said.

Magnolia  is not the only child Brian is trying to help. He’s made it his mission  to travel around the United States in hopes of finding 100 donors for  100 children. Kidneys for Kids also raises money to pay for any expenses  insurance won’t cover.

Virginia  is one of the first states he has come to visit and try and spread the  word. So if you or someone you know may be able to help out Magnolia,  you can find more information on being a kidney donor at the UVA Living Organ Donations website.

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