By Heather M. Ross
The bond between a mother and her son is one of the strongest there is, but this Frederick mother is closer to her son than most—they’re sharing one set of kidneys.
When Zorina Thomas’ son, Lavon, was 11-months-old, she donated her kidney to him. Lavon was born with Prune Belly Syndrome, which meant that his kidneys weren’t functioning properly. After he was born, he required dialysis and several surgeries.
Thomas shares what her parenting journey has been like raising a child with a complex medical condition, and what she’s learned along the way. Today, she lives in Frederick with her children, Ariel (21) and Lavon (17), where she works as a physician’s assistant at Frederick Health Hospital. There, she is the lead provider for the observation unit.
What do you love about your profession?
I enjoy seeing the smile on patients’ faces when I tell them they get to go home because everything is good. I make sure that our observation unit runs efficiently. I also see patients, so I can clinically manage them, diagnose and then treat them to get them home safely.
What do you love about being a parent?
Being a parent is a journey, and so it’s very rewarding when you see your children do things in the manner in which you want them to do them. For example, you may tell them something and where you think they never heard you, it manifests later in life. Then, that makes you feel really good to say, “OK, I guess I did a good job.”
What do you hope your children learn from you?
One of the things I hope they learn is that you only live once. In this life, you need to relax and enjoy it. So often, we exist but we don’t really live. I want them to learn how to actually live and not just exist, and seize every opportunity that is afforded to them.
What was a challenge you faced as a parent and how did you meet it?
One of the challenges we had was when our son (Lavon) was in the hospital. When you have one child that is sick, you have to remember how it also impacts the other children. It was a challenge balancing our time where we had to split it between the child…who was sick and then the others in order to ensure that they didn’t feel left out. That was really a huge challenge, but we were grateful that we had an awesome support system where my dad— he would come and sit at the hospital with our son or just be with the other children—and my mom would help with child care, and I had a sister who would help bring snacks. Our support system was amazing, and that will help us with our challenge.
Family Favorites
Fall activity: We always go to the pumpkin patch every year, and we have to do a hayride. We also like to do the corn maze—that’s a tradition in our family.
Vacation Spot: Their dad loves to go to Hawaii, so that’s his favorite spot. The kids love to go to Hawaii, too, but we recently found refuge in Maine. It was really peaceful, and it was amazing.
Favorite Sitcom: “The West Wing”
Favorite Game: Monopoly
Favorite Meal: Chicken tenders and tater tots— those are good; no complaints here.
Favorite Dessert: Homemade banana pudding.
