On Saturday, Erika Landry will get ready to slip into a gown and receive her diploma.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a far cry from this time last year when she was preparing to receive a new kidney from an anonymous living donor.

After three years of battling kidney disease and other repercussions related to her illness, Landry was able to return to Belmont secondary school full time this year. On June 2, sheB次元官网网址檒l join 400 of her classmates for BelmontB次元官网网址檚 graduation ceremonies at the University of Victoria.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty exciting to graduate. It took a while,B次元官网网址� said Landry. B次元官网网址淚 was really worried about not graduating.B次元官网网址�

This year, she filled her course load with only academic courses and even signed up with the out-of-school program to gain an additional four credits.

B次元官网网址淓rika has struggled through (nearly) insurmountable odds, sheB次元官网网址檚 always been a trooper and given back to the school when she could,B次元官网网址� said Belmont principal Carl Repp. B次元官网网址淪he has been a really solid student and one of this yearB次元官网网址檚 high points will be to see her make it to graduation.B次元官网网址�

While most teens spend their high school years hanging with friends and enjoying the last years of carefree fun, Landry spent hundreds of days in hospital. She missed more school than she attended and faced bullying when she did go to school.

Now 19-years-old, she has spent four years as a student at Belmont.

B次元官网网址淚 hadnB次元官网网址檛 really gone to school for three years so it was kind of hard to make friends,B次元官网网址� Landry said.

When she was sick, Landry only came to school once or twice per month for only a few hours each time.

To put things in perspective, Landry spent 209 days in the hospital in 2009.

Due to enduring 12-hour dialysis sessions, LandryB次元官网网址檚 body started retaining water and caused her to gain 35 pounds on her petite frame.

A few students at the school bullied her about her weight, with a few even having the gall to tell her she had B次元官网网址渓et herself go,B次元官网网址� Landry recalled.

Even many of her close friends became distant while she was sick.

But now sheB次元官网网址檚 preparing for the next stage of her life. She wants to upgrade some of her courses and go to Camosun College to train to be a radiology technician.

Landry said she was inspired by the hospital staff at B.C. ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Hospital.

B次元官网网址淣inety per cent of my procedures were done under radiology,B次元官网网址� Landry said. B次元官网网址淭he nurses were like my best friends. I talked to them everyday and they would come and hang out in my room with me.B次元官网网址�

Over the course of the three years, Landry endured 18 rounds of chemotherapy and many blood treatments.

Last June, she underwent a kidney transplant that changed her quality of life drastically. After undergoing the major surgery, Landry woke up feeling better than she had in a long time.

Without the gift of a kidney, Landry would not be graduating and she would need to spend half her waking hours hooked up to a dialysis machine and taking 18 medications a day.

B次元官网网址�(The kidney) started to work right away,B次元官网网址� Landry said, extolling those who have agreed to be organ donors. B次元官网网址淥rgan donation is so important.B次元官网网址�

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com

The importance of check-ups

Erika LandryB次元官网网址檚 kidney disease was discovered in 2008 during a routine doctorB次元官网网址檚 visit.

The red flag was high blood pressure and, after some blood tests, she was admitted to Victoria General Hospital and then flown by helicopter to B.C. ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Hospital in Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淚 hate heights,B次元官网网址� Landry said explaining she had fears the stretcher would roll out of the helicopter while in flight.