WILLIAMSBURG — Langdon Richardson, a local Williamsburg youth, had been on the search for a kidney and liver donor to help him as he battles autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD).
Diagnosed as a baby with ARPKD, Langdon’s journey with the disease has not been an easy one. He deals with chronic exhaustion, a daily pill regimen to manage his condition, and tires very easily.
A few months ago, Langdon’s medical team informed his parents that it might be time to add him to the transplant registry.
After searching, Langdon and his family found two living donors, both of whom are teachers in the Williamsburg James City County school system.
Scheduled for surgery in May at UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, Langdon will be quarantining as much as possible. Even the smallest cough could threaten to cancel his transplant surgery.
“We’re pulling Langdon out of school two weeks prior to surgery to hopefully keep him well. He’s been sick a lot recently and we’d hate for him to get the flu or strep right before transplant because then it will all get delayed. There’s a lot going into this process with four different surgical teams and two donors, there is a lot going on behind the scenes to make this a success, so by pulling him out of school and quarantining him, will hopefully help prevent any delays,” Tiffany Richardson, Langdon’s mom, shared.
His first surgery will be for his liver transplant. The surgery could take anywhere from eight to 12 hours. Due to the nature of the surgery, Langdon will ultimately end up in kidney failure, so dialysis may be needed prior to his kidney transplant surgery. Depending on his recovery process from the liver surgery, his kidney transplant surgery could be scheduled at any time.
While the two lengthy surgeries have caused Langdon a bit of anxiety, he is choosing to look at them positively.
“Langdon is very excited and relieved. He is constantly asking when, because he’s just really not been feeling great. He has a lot of days where energy-wise, he just can’t do it. He has lots of joint pain, muscle weakness, fatigue. He’s just ready … this disease has been his whole life and he just wants to feel better. Now that he knows that he has donors, he’s seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and he’s looking forward to the next chapter,” Richardson said.
After both surgeries, the Richardson family will have to remain in the Charlottesville area for at least six to 12 weeks.
On April 27, a fundraiser for the Richardsons and their donor families is planned. Bruster’s Ice Cream will donate 20% of its sales for the day to all three families. Bubbles the Clown and The Wandering Sausage will be on site from 1-4 p.m. Langdon will also be there for part of the day to thank the community for its support.
Funds raised at the event will be split amongst the three families for meals, lodging, and additional expenses while in Charlottesville.
The Richardsons are grateful that they have found living donors for their son.
“It’s a big ask, it’s weeks of recovery. The fact that people would do this and put their lives on hold for a bit to help Langdon is truly amazing. We are extremely grateful, it’s hard to express how grateful we are, but we are so appreciative for sure,” Richardson said.
The Richardson family will keep Langdon’s followers updated on his surgeries through its Facebook page, Facebook.com/LangdonsARPKDJourney.