Parents of boy in need of transplant meeting with hospital

ATLANTA - The family of a 2-year-old Atlanta boy desperately in need of a kidney transplant is meeting with Emory University Hospital officials to discuss a timeline for a life-saving surgery. 

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A.J. Burgess, who was born without kidneys, is recovering after undergoing surgery Saturday night to treat an abdominal infection. He was admitted to the hospital after suffering from pneumonia. 

A.J.'s parents have been in a battle with Emory University after the hospital changed the timeline on a life-saving kidney transplant. A.J. was born without kidneys and must go through nightly dialysis to survive.

A.J.'s father, Anthony D. Dickerson, is a compatible match for his son, but hospital officials say they're concerned he won't follow the necessary guidelines to make it a safe transfer since he violated his probation last year. The hospital said it would go ahead with the transplant, but only after 26-year-old Dickerson can provide evidence he has complied with his parole in January.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to give my son a kidney," Dickerson said on Friday. "I appreciate the community for supporting us,"

On Thursday, hospital officials and doctors met with the family to discuss A.J.'s condition and the situation. 

Afterward, Emily University Hospital released a statement apologizing for "a breakdown in communication on our part."

The family is meeting with hospital officials to work on a transplant timeline. Ahead of the meeting, a small group of prayer warriors gathered outside the hospital to pray for a miracle. 

Anyone who wishes to donate to the family's medical fund can do so at gofundme.com/single-mother-with-sick-son.