CAMP SPRINGS, Md. — 7-year-old Mikey Campbell is a typical kid. He likes to play with his friends and his sister, and enjoys video games like Mario, Sonic and Spiderman. He’s incredibly kind, looks out for others, and is known to be a little clumsy — his call of “I’m okay!” is heard often in the Campbell house.
He also needs a new kidney. And the one thing that can boost his long-term success rate is being exposed to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that causes mono.
This is what Mikey’s mom, Ashley Campbell, hoped to explain when she posted on Facebook on Jan. 13. Ashley Campbell wrote the post in the Calvert Moms Facebook group, hoping to find a family willing to expose her son to EBV.
“It definitely feels weird to be trying to expose him to a virus,” Campbell said. “Especially after we’ve spent most of his life trying to avoid him getting sick. It feels like those chickenpox parties people used to have.”
Mikey has been on the kidney transplant list since 2021, and his doctors anticipate he will be able to receive a transplant in six months to a year from now. But 93% of adults have been exposed to EBV and will test positive for antibodies. Mikey, at only 7, is statistically most likely to receive a kidney from one of these adults — and his not having EBV antibodies of his own can pose long-term complications from the transplant, specifically developing certain types of cancers like lymphoma.
The Campbells personally knew a liver transplant recipient who passed away from lymphoma in her early 30s. She had not had the EBV virus before her transplant. So while the lack of antibodies is known only to decrease the risk, the Campbells feel urgency in setting Mikey, who has already had multiple surgeries and lives with a ureterostomy, up for a lifetime of good health.
“We know it’s not guaranteed that if we do this, he won’t get cancer in the future. But it does decrease the risks,” Ashley Campbell said. “So if getting him sick now gives him the best hope for a good outcome for his whole life, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Campbell said she received mostly positive interactions from her post, but some people were understandably nervous about exposing her son to EBV. She believes this just comes from a normal parental instinct. It just feels counterintuitive to make your kid sick on purpose. Several people expressed interest but backed out. Many others were unable to help but cheered for the Campbells and Mikey online.
Recently, the Campbells had lunch with a “lovely” mother and son to swap some germs. Now they have to wait four to six weeks to see if Mikey gets any symptoms of EBV. And, if not, at least they got to make some new friends.
This mission comes down to the family being able to utilize their networks. Infecting someone isn’t something hospitals can do, and doctors’ offices have limited ability to help due to privacy laws. The Campbells hope that they can find someone in their community who happens to be sick at the right time and is also willing to share their germs.
“We’re just trying to take it day by day. I feel like that’s all we can do. I’d hate to waste a day worrying when we can be focused on living a normal life and being together,” Ashley Campbell said.
Until then, the family is actively seeking germs and hopeful about post-transplant life. Mikey is most looking forward to closing his ureterostomy and taking his very first swim in the ocean.
To help the Campbells expose Mikey to EBV, reach out to campbell.ashley1992@gmail.com
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