When Karen Rodas and Paul Rybkin’s son Nathaniel was born he lived for just 36 hours.
He was born with a rare condition called Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which causes cysts to grow in the kidneys which can lead to kidney failure.
The New Jersey couple had another child in 2013 Maddy who had the same condition as the couple’s first child but after a two-year struggle with the disease this little girl was given a lifeline – thanks to her dad.
Maddy Rbykin’s condition had caused her stomach to swell and for the first 18 months of her life she was in and out of hospital.
Despite the hospital visits, tubes and oxygen treatments Maddy was doing okay, until her health started to deteriorate.
Maddy was completely drained of energy, sleeping up to 18 hours a day and constantly vomiting, according to The Mirror.
Doctors feared she might die unless a suitable kidney donor was found.
Her dad Paul was then identified as a match and was able to give his daughter the life-saving operation she needed.
“With Paul and Maddy, two of my most precious souls, going under the knife, my nerves were a wreck,” Karen said, according to The Mirror.
The operation was a success and both daddy and daughter are doing well.
“Daddy’s kidney has saved our little girl,” Karen added. “Now, she has boundless energy. Her massive tummy now just looks a little bit rounded and she is a happy and healthy two-year-old.”
A modest Paul said he would have done what any other parent would.
“We have been on a rollercoaster – but any father would have done what I did, donating my kidney to Maddy. It’s part of being a parent,” he said, according to
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“Now we are on a high and can watch Maddy grow up as a happy and healthy little girl.”
Maddy will need another kidney transplant in 25 years, but for her parents, that feels like a “lifetime away.”
You can follow Maddy’s journey here, where her mom continues to update how it goes for her daughter – it’s great to see her progress and how’s she doing today, in 2023.
So happy that something could be done. Bless her and her dad too!
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Posted by A Kidney For Madeline on Monday, November 7, 2022
Please share to wish Maddy a happy and healthy life.
August 2025 –
The Justice Department has announced the conclusion of Operation Grayskull, one of the largest joint crackdowns in history against online child exploitation networks. Working with the FBI, prosecutors secured
18 convictions and dismantled four of the most “egregious” dark web platforms ever uncovered.
Authorities say these sites were visited by more than 120,000 users worldwide, some featuring content so extreme it shocked even veteran investigators. The platforms were run like criminal corporations, complete with moderators, posting rules, and encrypted communication channels to evade law enforcement.
Sentences have been severe: one Minnesota man received over 20 years, while another defendant from Michigan was sentenced to 55 years. Others, including site moderators, drew sentences ranging from 23 years to life in prison.
“You cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children,” FBI Director Kash Patel warned. Prosecutors echoed that message, vowing that international partnerships under Project Safe Childhood will continue to track offenders wherever they operate.
Operation Grayskull marks a historic victory in the fight against online child exploitation — and a reminder that justice will always find its way through the dark.