Former Foster Youth Finds A Kidney Donor In New Mom

Foster parents open their hearts and home to diverse children with varying needs, including medical ailments. Jeanne and Eli Backer have been fostering children in Louisanna since 2013. In 2019 their lives changed completely with their new foster placement Jaxon aka Jack-Jack.

In Search of a Kidney

Jack-Jack, age 3, is on dialysis and other medications to support his wellness while he awaits a kidney transplant. Before his parents opened the search up for a donor, they wanted to check if they could be a match. Mom Jeanne shares,

We wanted to be the first one tested just before anybody else did it just to see if there was any chance of us being a match. We didn’t think it was very likely with him being adopted. Come to find out both of our blood types matched his.

Jack-Jack’s father Eli’s is an O blood type and mom Jeanne’s is an A blood type. Since Jack-Jack is an A negative he needed an A kidney or an O kidney making Jeanne a match. Even Jack-Jack knows his mama is helping

I’m taking mama’s kidney. Look at mama’s kidney shirt, my kidney shirt.

Love Makes A Family

It is beautiful to see how much the Backers love one another. Jeanne shares,

I was excited, I don’t know if he was too excited that it was me instead of him, but that’s what I wanted. I wanted him to have my kidney.

Jack-Jack and his mother are having their kidney transplant surgery on March 16th in New Orleans. They set up a GoFundMe account to help with expenses if you’d like to help. We are sending them so much strength and love while they recover.

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