From Patients to Partners in Care: Strengthening Pediatric Kidney Transplant Care Through Experience and Expertise

Children’s Mercy continues to advance comprehensive, patient-centered pediatric kidney transplant care through a highly experienced multidisciplinary team. Two transplant coordinators within the Kidney Transplant Program, Katelyn and Mariah —both former pediatric kidney transplant recipients—now bring unique clinical insight to the care of children and adolescents with complex kidney disease, further strengthening the program’s continuity and family-centered approach.

As transplant coordinators, these nurses play a central role in guiding patients and families through evaluation, transplant preparation, post-transplant monitoring, and long-term follow-up. Their responsibilities include coordinating diagnostic testing, managing laboratory surveillance, facilitating medication adjustments, and serving as a consistent point of contact between referring providers, transplant surgeons, nephrologists, and families.

Their work alongside Bradley Warady, MD, and the broader Children’s Mercy Nephrology and Transplant teams underscores the program’s longstanding leadership in pediatric kidney care. The Kidney Transplant Program has supported generations of patients through advanced medical management, successful transplantation, and transition to adulthood, emphasizing coordinated care across pediatric and adult systems.

This integrated model ensures seamless collaboration, timely communication, and comprehensive support for children with kidney failure—from initial referral through transplant and long-term outcomes. The presence of highly experienced transplant coordinators with deep clinical and personal understanding of kidney disease reinforces Children’s Mercy’s commitment to delivering expert, compassionate, and reliable specialty care.