Mercedes

Age: 16

Diagnosis:

Mercedes was born with her bladder outside of her body, a very rare condition.

Dr. Leigh McGill of Phoenix Children’s was her surgeon, and over the years she has had nine major surgeries and 39 hospitalizations.

In 2000, Mercedes went into kidney failure when a stone lanced the side of her bladder.

A year later she fell at school and was bleeding internally. As she was rushed to the ER, Mercedes family was told she might not come out of surgery – the fall had ruptured her bladder. Mercedes was hospitalized for more than six weeks that time.

Her mom says Phoenix Children's saved her life twice, including that night. She is now a nephrology and urology patient.