Since 2012, when Lauren’s Law passed in New York state requiring that people answer the question “Do you want to be an organ donor?” on all Department of Motor Vehicles forms, Jeanne has been celebrating the impact Lauren’s voice on increasing the number of new organ donor registrations throughout the state. When Lauren became a young activist for organ donation, Jeanne drove her teenage daughter to Albany several times to share her story with New York State legislators. When Lauren was only 8 years old, she underwent a heart transplant at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where Jeanne kept vigil every day. Throughout Lauren’s life, her mother has always been her fiercest advocate and closest confidante. “That was devastating every single time.”Īdds Lauren: “It was the first time that we had ever been separated in my whole medical journey.” “I cried every time I had to drop her off and send her in alone,” says Jeanne, 54. Jeanne wanted to sit with Lauren and hold her hand during the rigorous treatment - as she had done when Lauren recovered from a heart transplant in 2008 - but because of COVID-19 restrictions, she wasn’t allowed to accompany her daughter inside. There were times I had to text my mom to come to the door and help me because I couldn’t walk out on my own,” says Lauren, then 20. Each time, Jeanne waited in her car outside as Lauren, with only a laptop and a knitted blanket to keep her company, spent three hours hooked up to a hemodialysis machine that did the work her failing kidneys couldn’t, cleaning the waste out of her blood. Three times a week, she drove her daughter Lauren to a dialysis center near their home in Rockland County. You can donate to Marquis's family through the Children's Organ Transplant Association.Last spring, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeanne Shields felt helpless. "I have to be within 9 miles of the hospital. Withrow said she will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House after her son is released from Children's.įor the next 12 weeks or so, she will remain close by as doctors keep a close eye on Marquis. "I've prayed and cried, prayed and cried," Withrow said. Marquis plans to walk at graduation next year. "He said, ‘Are you going to call school? I have to graduate,’" Withrow said. Marquis’s thoughts immediately turned to his school work. "It's the best Christmas gift I could ever get,” Withrow said. "Never did I think that we're going to go through it again - not only one organ, but now he needed two."Ībout 17 hours of surgery later, Marquis can stand now with two new organs. "It was scary and I was like, ‘Lord, please let him live,’" Withrow said. They got to Children's two weeks ago, she said. In 2018, doctors told them Marquis would need heart and kidney transplants. When his heart stopped, that's when the issues started and they just never recovered." He got a pacemaker on Valentine's Day 2013," she said. They revived him, got him stable and flew him to Cincinnati. That's when his heart stopped in the emergency room.
When Marquis was 10, his condition suddenly got worse, his mother said. "He's been fighting all his life - back and forth, and up and down - from Lexington to Cincinnati,” Withrow said. Meaning the left side of his heart was underdeveloped. Marquis was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, "She was like, 'Take your time, but get him here as soon as possible.' I was still like, 'WHAT?'"Īctually, mother and son have been fighting Marquis's whole life, she said.Īt just 5 days old, Marquis had open heart surgery.Īt 3 years old, he had his first heart transplant. The immediate joy and relief were beyond words. We have a heart and kidney for Marquis.'" They kept calling back," Withrow said, until she finally answered. I thought it was a spam call, so I kept hanging up on them. "Marquis was at work when I got the call. Withrow said she and son were “fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting" for a year and four months until that phone call came - and then she didn't answer it right away. "I’ve got shoes, bags everywhere, but it doesn't matter." They’re all packed into her white Kia, she said. "I've got enough clothes that'll last me for three months, maybe more," Withrow said.
While Marquis will spend the holidays recovering there, his mother, who’s from Lexington, Kentucky, will be counting her blessings and living out of her car here for a while. Withrow’s 17-year-old son, Marquis Davis, just received two special presents – a new heart and new kidney – at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. CINCINNATI - Sherri Withrow calls it her "Christmas miracle.”
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