10-Year-Old Boy Suffers Rare Disorder That Caused A Kidney To Grow Inside His Leg

Feb 05, 2019 by apost team

Over 300 million people in the world suffer from one of the more than 7,000 diseases that are classified as rare by western medicine’s standards. While there’s not a global litmus test for “rare,” the U.S. defines such diseases as those with a prevalence of less than 200,000 cases.

Amongst those diseases are those so rare that only a handful of people in the world have them. Then, you have cases where the extreme rarity is a new discovery, such as the case of Hamish Robinson. He’s become known as the boy with the kidney in his leg.

Hamish Robison, of the U.K., weighed just two pounds when he was born six weeks premature 10 years ago on May 29, 2008. 3 weeks later he was discharged and sent home with his mom, Kay Robinson. At around 17 months old, Hamish’s mom realized he wasn’t meeting his growth and development milestones as he should. They were eventually sent to see a geneticist.

The doctors were stumped at first. Hamish had said “mama” at around 17 months, but then he stopped talking. His behavioural growth was almost universally stunted.

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After much testing, doctors finally discovered a rare chromosome deficiency in Hamish. He was born without the 7p22.1 chromosome. The medical team explained to his mom that it was due to a structural malformation of the chromosome.

They also discovered that it had caused one of Hamish’s kidneys to be located way off from its normal position in the abdomen. It was growing inside his right thigh, which was all but unheard of in medical history.

The kidney is fully formed, the correct horseshoe shape, and appears to be fully functioning. But, the long-term implications of the ectopic kidney are simply unknown. There are no cases before it to guide a prognosis or determine the best course of action, and Hamish’s doctors are saying he is the only known person not having 7p22.1 chromosome.

Hamish’s geneticist has written a paper on the case for research documentation. The Chromosome Disorder Outreach organization has since added the disorder, listing symptoms as facial abnormalities, developmental delays, organ malformations, and intellectual disability.

Aside from the development delays and organ malformation, Hamish also suffers from hearing loss, spinal issues, and chronic asthma. Hamish’s communication is reliant upon a voice computer that speaks for him. He can be seen using it in this video.

Kay Robinson recently told Fox News that a simple kidney infection could be a health disaster for her son. Yet, she describes Hamish as a magnetic, friendly boy who loves pantomime and karate.

As of now, doctors have decided the best course of action for Hamish’s kidney malformation is to do nothing. They’re leaving it in place and monitoring it closely. Hamish’s other kidney is in it’s appropriate position.

Pass Hamish’s story along to all your friends. One of the best ways to help is by simply raising awareness about rare diseases and conditions. Do you know someone with a rare disease or have one yourself? If so, tell us about it in the comments. Of course, questions and other thoughts are always welcome, too.