Special delivery: Surprise miracle comes in threes
The stuffy nose and fatigue seemed to Lotoiya Ranger like the start of a simple cold. She left work, stopped at a store for cough syrup and went straight home to bed.
In the early hours of the next morning Lotoiya woke to feelings unlike any routine cold. It felt like she was spinning. Instead of going to work, a friend took her to urgent care.
A nurse was quick to let Lotoiya know that her blood pressure was extremely high with numbers off the charts that had the potential to result in a heart attack.
Lotoiya was given the news that her kidneys were failing and was immediately transferred and admitted to the Inpatient Nephrology Unit at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Charlton Campus. She was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) known as the leading cause of kidney failure in adults. Staff explained the various types of dialysis she could undertake, but that she needed to be on dialysis in order for her body to stabilize. She ended up choosing hemodialysis, which is a process of purifying the blood through a machine.
Lotoiya had always wanted to be a mother. When she learned that it was rare to have children while on dialysis, she was heartbroken. Shocked and devastated, Lotoiya looked to her faith to give her strength through this heartbreaking news. Throughout the whole process, she found comfort in her prayers and spending time at church as a meaningful support system in her life.
For women on dialysis, one of the common physical symptoms is not having a menstrual cycle. Surprisingly while on dialysis, Lotoiya did end up having a menstrual cycle which was an anomaly in itself. She then didn’t have a period for four months and thought that this was a normal symptom. Joyfully, after taking four pregnancy tests, Lotoiya found out that she was pregnant with her first daughter, Lena.
In order to ensure the best chance for the baby, Lotoiya was required to do six hours of hemodialysis every day, when normally it is 4 hours three times a week. After 7 ½ months, Lena was born premature, but very healthy.
One year later, Lotoiya gave birth to another healthy girl and recently had a third daughter. All of which are seen as true blessings in her life. Her three daughters Lena, now 4 years old, Fefe aged 3, and baby Kivy, six months are healthy, but will be closely monitored.
Lotoiya continues to wait for a kidney transplant to enjoy more time playing with her daughters, but she is thankful for her health and her daughters’ health.
“The pregnancy rate in women of childbearing age on dialysis varies from 0.3% to 1.5% per year. For Lotoiya to have three successful pregnancies on dialysis is nothing short of a miracle. Such a rare case has not been reported at St. Joe’s for more than 15 years,” states Dr. Karen To, Nephrologist. “Her dedicated health care teams including dialysis nurses, technicians, medical specialists and more have all been a part in helping these successful live births.”
Pictured above: Lotoiya and her three daughters.