NORFOLK, Va. — A story News 3 first reported on this summer has concluded with good news.
Previous coverage: 5-year-old from Hampton in need of kidney donor
Five-year-old Legand Crouch of Hampton, who was in urgent need of a kidney transplant, has found a donor and is recovering well after surgery.
In July, Legand’s grandfather, Whalan McDew, advocated for kidney donation awareness. The family was hopeful someone would step forward to help.
Fast forward to October, Legand received the much-needed transplant.
“For him to get it as quickly as he did is truly a blessing for us as a family,” McDew said.
Three months after the public appeal, a suitable organ donor emerged.
Initially, the first kidney available for Legand was damaged, but soon after, another kidney became available that was a perfect match.
Just eight days post-surgery, Legand was able to return home with his family.
Dr. Amber Carrier, who works for Sentara but does transplant surgeries for CHKD, shared that Legand is now off dialysis and thriving.
“He is free from dialysis and has boatloads of energy,” Carrier said. “Although he was energetic before, he is even more so now.”
Before his transplant, Legand was one of about 1,200 children on the national kidney transplant waiting list.
In the Tidewater area, five other children are still waiting for a donor.
Carrier emphasized the importance of getting tested to determine if one is a potential match for organ donation, calling it the best gift anyone can give.
“I am a professional at second chances, and it's amazing to be able to give a second chance to anyone, especially a child,” she said.
While Legand's family may never know the identity of their donor, they are deeply grateful for the life-changing gift.
“Just considering doing this for someone else, and a stranger at that, again, has blessed us, and I hope it has blessed you knowing that your loved one was able to save someone else’s life,” McDew said.
For more information on kidney donation and how to find out if you can help, click here.
In 2024, CHKD celebrated its 100th transplant, with Legand as one of the hospital's patients.
