The Worst Year

2009 was the worst year of our lives and yet it taught me to appreciate every moment after that year. This morning we met with the director of the American Transplant Foundation and it was great to share our story with her. Sometimes in our day to day life I think we forget what happened. Not that we don't appreciate the outcome its just that life comes back. By now you're probably wondering what happened. July of 2009 the pilot's kidney function went from 95% to 18%. Once you go below 20% you automatically are put on the transplant list. At the end of July both his grandmothers had passed away within weeks of each other. He started hemodialysis and realized he wanted more control of his treatment. He transitioned to Peritoneal dialysis, however the week after the procedure he was in the hospital again for a blood clot in the leg and a pulmonary embolism. At the time all I knew was that he had a blood clot in his lung which is what a pulmonary embolism is, I didn't know people can die from this. I found out I was pregnant in September and had a miscarriage in October  We really thought our lives couldn't get worse. A close friend of ours tested to become a live donor. It took several months and we thought it wasn't going to happen. On February 8, 2010 my husband had a successful transplant. He truly is my miracle. 
During the entire time he was sick it was like I was holding my breath. I didn't want to cry because I had to be strong for him and our son. All I could do is stay positive and continue to smile and hope for the best. A couple days after the transplant I finally took a breath and couldn't stop crying. It was like I had been holding it all in for 7 months.  
This has been heavily on my mind since I quit my job. I've been trying to find a place or a way to share our story to encourage others. The average wait time for a kidney is 5 years. The pilot waited less than a year. I truly believe the hardships in our lives make us who we are, and that year I grew even closer to the pilot. I could've curled up in a ball and cried every night but that wasn't going to help anyone. I wanted to be that light and encouragement my family needed. And now I want to be able to encourage someone else who might be going through the same thing. After several months of thinking about this I contacted the American Transplant Foundation with our story. I received a call the next day to meet the director for coffee. I just sent in my application to volunteer. I believe I can make a difference and continue to remember how truly blessed our family is. 

If you'd like more information about this organization please visit their website at
www.americantransplantfoundation.org