Vivian Lemire was born with polycystic kidney disease. By six weeks old Vivian already had multiple surgeries to remove both kidneys and start dialysis. After many medical complications and spending more than 11 months inpatient at Cardinal Glennon hospital in St. Louis, Missouri Vivian is home; however she now is three years old and spends three days a week at Cardinal Glennon for hemodialysis. She fights to stay healthy to be placed on the kidney transplant list.
Vivian Lemire, 3 years old was diagnosed at birth with Polycystic Kidney Disease. It was first discovered during an ultrasound when Cara Lemire was 32 weeks pregnant, but not confirmed till birth.
Vivian watches television while receiving hemodialysis at Cardinal Glennon in St. Louis Missouri on October 26, 2014. Vivian has 3 hemodialysis treatments a week.
Cara and Vivian make silly faces back and forth on Saturday, October 8, 2014. Although Vivian is fighting for her life she is able to enjoy life.
On Wednesday, October 26, 2014 Vivian receives hemodialysis treatment. Vivian's treatment takes three and a half hours. Her father Rich stands by her side the entire time. The treatments make Vivian exhausted and can make her very uncomfortable, but she is unable to vocalize how she is feeling in a way that an adult or teenager would be able to. "You can watch for telltale signs, from Vivian, that we've learned to recognize she's not feeling well," says Rich.
To calm Vivian's nerves her dad, Rich, is by her side when starting her hemodialysis treatment. Dialysis at Cardinal Glennon has been a part of Vivian's life since she was born, Vivian is very comfortable going to dialysis. "This has been her life since birth and she doesn't know a life without it," said Rich.
Hemodialysis consumes most of Vivian's time through the week she deals with much more than any typical three year old.
To distract Vivian from dialysis Rich is always by her side, playing games and talking to her. Since Vivian can not verbally vocalize when she is in pain someone has to be by her side and know how to read her body language.
On October 29, 2014 Vivian watches as her family eats dinner. Vivian is fed through a feeding tube, called a gastrostomy tube that was surgically placed through her abdomen directly into her stomach. Her feeds are delivered from a pump. Currently Vivian's feed runs about 17 hours a day and delivers about an ounce an hour. Daily her formula bag gets replaced, rinsed and cleaned 3 times a day.
Cara, Vivian's mother wears a head lamp so she can see to clean Vivian's ports on Friday, November 28, 2014.