EPHRATA — Constance Schnegelberger is a tough chick.

And she’s only 2.

Constance was born with some health problems, including a collapsed lung, said her mom Kristin Schnegelberger. The collapsed lung required giving the newborn a chest tube, “which she pulled out the next day,” Kristin said.

That wasn’t the worst of her problems — there were issues that caused damage to her kidneys. She has required dialysis since she was born, and her family is working with an organization to raise money to help defray expenses for a kidney transplant.

Constance’s family lives in Ephrata, and her maternal grandmother Connie Ross is an employee at the Columbia Basin Herald.

Constance’s kidney troubles originated in a birth defect that required reconstructive surgery, and affected her kidneys to the point they didn’t develop properly. “They don’t do their job, per se,” Kristin said.

The kidney malfunctions eventually affected her heart, culminating in an emergency airlift to Seattle Children’s Hospital and a stay in the cardiac ICU in February 2016. “We almost lost her,” her mom said, but she pulled through.

“Dialysis is every single night here at home,” Mom said. But Constance is still growing, and she has reached the weight requirements necessary for a kidney transplant. “She needs to be a little taller.” A child receives an adult kidney, and the abdomen must be big enough to accommodate it, Kristin said.

The physician overseeing the transplant has a set of requirements, and Constance must be 85 centimeters tall (about 34 inches) and weigh 33 pounds. Her mom said the doctors have set a goal of a transplant sometime between Constance’s third and fourth birthday.

The family’s insurance will pay for the actual transplant, Kristin said, “but it’s all the other expenses.” Constance will be required to stay in Seattle for three months of follow-up care, which means her dad Joel may have to take a leave of absence from his job. He’s currently deployed with the U.S. Army in Africa.

Donations can be mailed to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, 2501 West COTA Dr., Bloomington, Ind. 47403. Checks or money orders should be marked “In honor of Constance S.” Online donations can be made at www.cotaforconstances.com/.

People who want more information can contact community coordinator Gerry Cullins, 425-770-1559 or [email protected], or Connie Ross, 360-632-1813 or [email protected].

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].