Overcoming tragedy and illness, kidney transplant patient finds new lease on life

In 2004, Christine Bradshaw was a healthy 17-year-old student at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola when her life took an unexpected turn. After nearly blacking out at school, she went to the doctor expecting a minor illness. Instead, she received a life-altering diagnosis.

Bradshaw was found to have a rare and serious kidney condition known as Dense Deposit Disease, a form of glomerulonephritis that causes inflammation and damage to the kidneys. There are fewer than 5,000 cases estimated in the United States.

"It was really scary," she said.

Despite aggressive treatment, her condition progressed to kidney failure. In 2010, she received a kidney transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. But the disease quickly returned, leading to transplant failure just three years later and forcing her back onto dialysis.

"That was very painful," Bradshaw said. "Emotionally, I knew I was going to have to do dialysis again, and that's really hard on you."

The next several years were physically and emotionally exhausting. Dialysis treatments left her drained, limiting her ability to work and participate in everyday activities.

"You don't get to do the things other young adults do," she said. "Most days, you just want to stay home."

Through the struggles she leaned on the support of her husband, Dwain Bradshaw, a career firefighter at NAS Pensacola and a volunteer fire chief with Escambia County Fire Rescue. A devastating tragedy took Dwain from her in 2019, when he died in the line of duty.

There aren't many words for that kind of loss. "It was really hard," she said.

Determined to keep moving forward for her daughter Chloe, Bradshaw began exploring the possibility of another transplant. She was evaluated at a major transplant center but was told the risks of disease recurrence were too high.

A new opportunity emerged closer to home.

Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola launched the region's first, and still only, kidney transplant program in 2016, offering advanced care to patients across Northwest Florida.

"We spent a lot of time evaluating Christine's case," said Dr. Douglas Keith, medical director of the kidney transplant program at Ascension Sacred Heart. "She was very young, and there were emerging therapies that could help manage her disease if it returned. We wanted to be sure we could give her the best possible long-term outcome."

In August 2020, Bradshaw was scheduled for a transplant at Ascension Sacred Heart. But after she was taken into surgery, complications with the donor kidney prevented the procedure from moving forward.

"I woke up thinking my life was about to change," she said. "And then I found out it couldn't happen. That was devastating."
Just two months later, hope returned. Another donor kidney became available, an even better match.

"As it turned out, the next offer was actually a better kidney for her," said Dr. Keith.

In October 2020, Bradshaw underwent a successful transplant.

"It didn't take long before I was feeling really good," she said. "Even before I left the hospital, I had my strength back. It was a blessing."

"She's done remarkably well," said Dr. Keith. "There's been no evidence of recurrence, and it's made a tremendous difference in her life."

Over five years later, Bradshaw is back to living life on her terms. She works full-time, stays active, and enjoys time with her family and friends, things that once felt out of reach.

"This transplant gave me my life back," she said. "I can be there for my daughter. I can work. I can just live again."

Her appreciation for the care team as Sacred Heart has developed into a special bond.

"They make you feel like family," she said. "My daughter even drew pictures for them, and they still have them hanging in their office years later. That means so much to us."

For Bradshaw, the road has been marked by hardship, resilience, and hope. Today, she is not only surviving, she is thriving.

"I used to feel like I had been dealt a bad hand in life," she said. "But now, it's been amazing. I'm just so grateful to be here."