Photo: Adela with her children, Nadia and Amir
For Adela Tolic, becoming a mum was always the dream – but one that seemed heartbreakingly out of reach after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease as a teenager.
Living with just one kidney that only functions at 30%, pregnancy carries serious risks, not only for Adela but for her unborn baby as well.
But under the incredible care of nephrologist Professor Shilpa Jesudason – whose work in women’s kidney health is supported by The Hospital Research Foundation Group thanks to the Home Lottery – Adela became a mum not only once, but twice!
“When I first saw Dr Shilpa, she talked me through all the risks – including complete kidney failure, transplant even,” Adela said.
“It was very high risk. But after a lot of discussion, my husband and I decided to take a leap of faith. Not having kids was not an option.”
Adela’s pregnancy went well at first, but in her third trimester she developed hydronephrosis – a condition where her kidney swelled to double its normal size.
“My kidney swelled up to about 26 centimetres, and the average kidney is 13.”
But with her expert care team, Adela gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Amir, at 36.5 weeks. And a few years later, defying the odds again, she welcomed a second child, Nadia.
“They are my world,” she said of her now six- and three-year-olds.
“I don’t think I would have been able to become a mum without Dr Shilpa and her research, because there was no research about a case like me.
“There was nothing for me to go, oh, this person’s gone through it, I can do it too. I had to take that leap and hope for the best.”
Adela’s story is just one example of how life-changing research – supported by you – can shape what’s possible for people living with disease.