Girl adopted by nurse gets kidney

Ashley Echols-Dobbs, 2, the little girl adopted by her pediatric nurse, got a kidney in August.

A kidney from a 17-year-old deceased organ donor should give Ashley decades of reprieve from dialysis. Most kidney transplants don’t last a lifetime, said Camille Echols, Ashley’s mother.

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Camille Echols and Ashley Echols-Dobbs, 2, wait in July at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as Ashley receives dialysis.

But worrying about what might be needed 20 years from now didn’t get in the way of celebrating the successful surgery.

“We were totally thrilled,” Echols said. “She has a big incision because it’s basically an adult kidney crammed in there, and she’s really uncomfortable right now with all the tubes, but her kidney is working beautifully.”

Ashley’s story of neglect was featured in Pulse in September.

Ashley’s nurse, Echols, and her partner Julie Dobbs eventually interceded, and Ashley was placed in their foster care.

The two adopted Ashley this spring.

Echols said she and Dobbs were exhausted, but that everyone was doing well.

“Ashley just drank something, and that’s the first time for her to interact other than to cry and say ‘mama’ ” Echols said.

“She popped the pacifier out and said ‘more’ when I was holding her cup.”

— This article is a reprint from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.