Meet Champion, Porter

Porter was born with multiple congenital anomalies, including kidney failure and an imperforate anus, requiring extensive medical intervention from birth. During pregnancy, ultrasounds revealed enlarged kidneys and little to no amniotic fluid, leading his care team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) to prepare for dialysis after delivery. Born via C-section at 37 weeks, Porter underwent a colostomy and peritoneal dialysis catheter placement on his first day of life. After 110 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), he began nightly dialysis at home before transitioning to in-hospital hemodialysis due to complications. By age two, he had undergone around 30 surgeries. It was then that Porter received a life-saving kidney transplant through a paired donation program, making him the youngest kidney transplant recipient at UMMC. Now six, he continues to manage ongoing health needs but is thriving, joyful, strong, and full of life