Overview
- First-year student Aria Moreno volunteered during a September lab in Hempstead, where resident Amanda Aguilo-Cuadra noticed abnormal dilation in the right kidney.
- Aguilo-Cuadra privately recommended immediate follow-up, warning of possible hydronephrosis from an obstruction such as a kidney stone.
- Subsequent imaging revealed a four-centimeter stone and about 50% loss of right-kidney function, prompting surgery to clear the blockage.
- Clinicians credit the timely detection with saving the remaining function, as Moreno had no back pain or urinary symptoms before the scan.
- Moreno reports a full return to normal activities with the left kidney functioning fully and the right at roughly half, while school leaders highlight the required ultrasound curriculum as a graduation standard.