Kid Captain: Blake Burdorf

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Before he was born, local doctors gave Blake Burdorf just a 10% chance of survival, but the Shenandoah boy beat the odds after a kidney transplant and other care at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Blake’s twin brother, Bowen, was born healthy, while Blake suffered from kidney failure due to posterior urethral valves that formed incorrectly in utero. The abnormality causes urine to flow backwards, instead of being released into the amniotic sac to assist with vital organ development.

Read Blake’s story here.