Annawan -- All week we've shown you how organ donation and transplant is giving people in Central Illinois a second chance at life . We conclude our series with Katelyn... A little girl from Annawan who is a true inspiration.

It's hard to imagine one adult kidney fitting inside a baby’s tiny body. Katelyn Derycke came into this world with two of them.

Katelyn’s father, Adam, explains, "You know, we didn't think she'd make it at birth, so every day with her is a little extra special."

Doctors diagnosed Katelyn with a rare genetic disorder , causing her kidneys to become enlarged.  Doctors weren't sure if Katelyn's lungs would develop fully or if she would ever be able to breath on her own.

Katelyn’s mom, Hope, says doctors "really had no idea what the prognosis was going to be."

It was a situation all too familiar to the Derycke family. They lost their son, Noah, to the same disease five years before.

Within the first week of life, Katelyn underwent two surgeries, removing both kidneys and implanting a dialysis catheter. Doctors said Katelyn would need a transplant as soon as possible.

Hope says Katelyn’s doctor "gave us a number between 10 and 20 percent chance of survival."

The Deryckes found a donor match in Katelyn's aunt Brenda. Their next hurdle was getting their daughter strong enough for surgery.

Hope says, "We tried everything to get her to eat and gain weight, just a constant struggle!"

Finally, at 13 months and weighing just 19 pounds, Katelyn went in for transplant.

Hope remembers "walking into surgery to give her to the nurse and my arms were literally shaking. I had to give her away, wondering is she going to be okay?"

Now 17 months old, Katelyn is more than ok. Her parents say the new kidney transformed their daughter overnight.

Hope tells us Katelyn "seemed like back to normal, back to being a normal 13 month old that wanted to play and cuddle and acted like nothing had ever happened."

 Adam says, "It's rewarding every day to wake up to her. Never thought you'd be glad to change a diaper, ya know."

While more transplants are a certainty, the Deryckes see a bright future for their youngest daughter: A little girl with a big story inside of her.

Hope says, "She touches everybody's life that she comes into contact with. You just can't forget her face. She's amazing."

Katelyn's surgeon says the kidney should be viable for about 12 years before she will need another transplant. Katelyn was chosen to appear in the 2010 Children's Hospital of Illinois calendar .
 
For more information about Illinois organ donor program, click here .

You can find the videos to each organ donation story here.
-A Second Chance at Life: The Charlton Family
-A Second Chance at Life: The Strack Family
-A Second Chance at Life: The People Who Make it Possible