Little Egg Kidney Disease Patient To Become Nurse In Pandemic

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — Taylor Brazenor has worked as a nurse's assistant in AtlantiCare's Trauma Center whenever she can, but nursing school has taken up much of her time. And she's done it while dealing with kidney problems.

Now that she's finishing nursing school, Brazenor is moving on to becoming a nurse during the greatest public health crisis in modern history. And she's doing it even though kidneys are considered extremeley vulnerable to coronavirus problems.

Once she takes her final test, the Little Egg Harbor resident can serve as a nurse and help others more during the coronavirus pandemic. She'll also come one step closer toward the operations she needs.

Can she do it, even though she still needs a kidney and liver transplant?

"My kidneys aren’t great, but they’re stable," said Brazenor, who takes vitamins to help her deal with her health issues.

People with chronic kidney disease and liver disease are at greater risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the Center for Disease Control. But the 22-year-old remains grateful to have a job and help others, even though her nephrologist considers her at higher risk if she catches the coronavirus.

Kelly Casillas, Brazenor's mother-in-law, nominated the nurse's assistant as a Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch hero for her contributions.

"She is a strong woman who puts her needs aside to save the life of others," Casillas said.

Brazenor says AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center has protected everyone "very well" from the virus. She typically wears a surgical mask and a face shield. Brazenor also has an N95 mask for when she works around coronavirus patients.

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Even though she holds a risky job, Brazenor wants everyone to be careful during the pandemic.

"You can carry (coronavirus) for 14 days and not even know you have it and have already given it to 15 other people," she said. "That’s how it has spread so quickly."

Her mother is a nurse, which inspired Brazenor to enter the same profession. But before her ambitions, Brazenor encountered health obstacles. At 1 year old, she was diagnosed with kidney and liver issues.

Doctors said she would eventually need a transplant but that she could use vitamins for a while. She has taken Vitamin B6 for 21 years.

"I still have all my organs," Brazenor said. "I just have kidney stones really bad. They didn’t think I was going to be able to have a child. My daughter’s going to be 2 next month."

Brazenor, however, isn't on any list for people awaiting an available donor. She gets health insurance through the State, but she feels the best facilities for getting a kidney or liver transplant are out-of-state and not available through her insurance.

AtlantiCare offers health insurance to full- and part-time employees. But Brazenor only works there per diem because of the time commitment of nursing school, so she doesn't qualify for employer health insurance.

That will change once Brazenor becomes a nurse though. Then she can pursue transplants the way she wants to.

"I want to go to the best place I can for a transplant," Brazenor said. "I don’t want to go somewhere just because they take my insurance."

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