Chad Schmiedt, professor of small animal medicine and surgery and Alison Bradbury Chair in Feline Health, in collaboration with Jim Moore, professor of large animal medicine and director of the Educational Resources Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine, has created and published an eBook written for children preparing to undergo a kidney transplant.
The eBook, Kids, Cats, and Kidneys, is about a young boy who will soon undergo the procedure and has quite a few questions and worries. He is guided through the process by a friendly cat who has already received a kidney transplant. Together, they learn about the procedure, the care team, and what life looks like after the transplant is complete.
The book was illustrated by Katelyn Snell and funded by a grateful donor whose cat passed away before receiving a kidney transplant. The book was written by fourth-year DVM student Alexia Schaeffer. In order to meet the needs of these children, the team consulted with pediatric medical psychologists—ensuring the content is understandable and answers the right questions. The book was developed for Apple Books by Educational Resources.
The team hopes to begin work on another eBook soon. The next story will focus on a medical practice that terrorizes humans and pets: shots!
An expert in his field, Dr. Schmiedt is known around the world for his work in feline renal disease and kidney transplantation and has published several papers on the subjects. He is also the founder of the feline renal transplantation program at the University of Georgia—one of only three programs of its kind in the United States.
The eBook is available here via Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1520091638
