Shawnee graduate has dreams put on hold
Tags: Schools, Headlines, Shawnee High School, Dialysis

Nineteen-year-old Medford resident Jamie Westphal was a high school graduate with a bright future.

She graduated from Shawnee High School and was committed to Stockton University where she intended to study to become a nurse.

But before Jamie could fulfill her dream of helping the sick, she would have to deal with a sudden health crisis of her own.

Rather than finishing her packing the day before she was scheduled to move into her dorm, Jamie ended up being put on dialysis that day.

About two years ago, her pediatrician noticed unordinary high blood pressure, and Jamie experienced frequent headaches.

The school nurse took it from there, monitoring Jamie by measuring her blood pressure each day. Jamie was then advised to be admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she could receive more in-depth treatment.

She was diagnosed with scarred kidneys as the result of a possible undiagnosed infection when she was younger and was told she would need a new kidney.

Jamie began dialysis treatment last August, spending five hours a day for three days a week on the machine.

As of March 24, she began peritoneal dialysis from her home, which requires her to be on the machine every night for eight hours while she sleeps.

Her family has been there every step of the way and has been amazed with how she has handled herself.

“She’s really held it together through the whole process. She doesn’t really let it get to her,” her brother Eric said.

Eric is enrolled at Rowan University, where he attempts to balance his schoolwork with being there for his little sister.

“It has definitely been tough having to juggle my schoolwork with having this in the back of my mind constantly,” he said.

Luckily for him, their mother Lori created a Facebook page to keep everyone posted on the status of Jamie’s search for a kidney. The “finding Jamie a kidney” page has received hundreds of inspirational posts from people in the community sending Jamie their best wishes.

Those wishes almost came true in February when news was confirmed that an aunt from Southern California was identified as a match.

She met all of the rigorous criteria required, and the transplant surgery was scheduled.

However, the night before the surgery, the family was contacted and notified that something had come up and the two were not compatible.

“That was a big hit to everyone,” Eric said.

The goal is to complete the transplant surgery before the summer is over and have Jamie pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse at Stockton in the fall 2017.

“It’s a helpless feeling knowing she hasn’t gotten to experience what I have at college,” Eric said. “It’ll be really good for her when she finally gets to go. I can’t wait for that day.”

Eric said he’s been amazed with how knowledgeable his sister is when it comes to the disease and everything she has going on health-wise.

“Waiting at the hospital has influenced her to one day be a nurse,” Lori said. “She wants to use this knowledge to help other people.”

Anyone with Type O Positive blood is encouraged to contact Penn Medicine’s Living Kidney Donor Department by visiting www.pennmedicine.org or by reaching out to the family directly through the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/findingjamieakidney.