Myles’s Journey to a New Kidney

When the Northwest Kidney Council welcomed Northwest Kidney Kids as a partner in May, we were eager to highlight the organization’s work helping children with kidney disease and their families find support, connection and community. Heidi Tirado and her young son, Myles, know firsthand how meaningful that support can be.

Myles’s kidney journey began before he was born. During pregnancy, Heidi learned that he could not pass urine normally and that it was backing up into his kidneys. Suddenly, her family was navigating a complicated medical world they knew nothing about, while feeling set apart from friends who were welcoming healthy babies.

“Nothing could have prepared us for the ups, downs, and everything in between,” Heidi shared.

After Myles was born, the family received an official diagnosis of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). He would need nightly kidney dialysis until he could receive a kidney transplant. What followed were months filled with treatments, hospital stays, difficult decisions and the constant hope that a donor kidney would become available.

In November 2025, that hope took an unexpected turn when Heidi learned she might be able to donate one of her own kidneys to Myles. She began additional testing to make sure living with one kidney would be safe for her.

While Heidi waited for her test results, Myles was receiving care at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital following complications involving his peritoneal kidney dialysis catheter. Then came the call they had been hoping for. Heidi was healthy enough to donate.

“We were absolutely over the moon,” she said. “It could not have come at a better time.”

Myles received his mother’s kidney at the end of March 2026. The beginning of recovery was difficult for both of them, but nearly three months later, Heidi reported they were doing well. Myles had more energy, a new enthusiasm for food and the chance to celebrate his second birthday with a healthy kidney donated to him by his mother.

Throughout their journey, the Tirado family also found support through Northwest Kidney Kids. At Family Camp in Rockaway Beach, they met parents and children who understood the realities of pediatric ESRD. For Heidi, that connection brought a sense of relief. Her family could speak openly, ask questions and receive advice from people who had walked a similar path.

Northwest Kidney Kids helped make what Heidi described as an unimaginable journey “a little more manageable and a lot more hopeful.”

The Northwest Kidney Council is grateful to Heidi for sharing her family’s story and to Northwest Kidney Kids for creating a community where Oregon families can find understanding, encouragement and hope.