Cindy-Living Donor

I can remember when I was very young telling my daddy that I wanted to be an organ donor. He begged me to not sign my drivers license and I promised him that I wouldn’t. Now about 20 + years later I am a living donor. My story could go back years from now because of my precious friend that I donated too but I will hit the highlights.

My friend Teresa was in desperate need of a kidney transplant because her kidneys were failing at a rapid rate. She had wanted to be a momma for so long. Because of diabetes that dream was just that, a dream. She had become pregnant over the years but could never pack the baby and would always miscarry. In the year of 2013 she had her baby girl. Granted, she had spent time in and out of the hospital but I had spent so many nights praying that she would get her baby into the world safe and sound and finally she did. We all took a huge sigh or relief.

Then in 2016 once again she found herself in the hospital because her kidneys weren’t functioning as well as they needed. I checked on her religiously. I was so worried that my friend wouldn’t be able to see her baby grow up. Late one evening while I was checking on her, she received a message from me that of course my fingers wrote and sent, but it was the Lord working. I told her that I would be the first person tested if she could get a new kidney. After I sent the message, I stopped and thought, ” Wow, where did that come from?” Then I instantly thought of my family and children. What would happen if they needed a kidney and I had given one away. I hadn’t even thought nor spoke to anyone about it. I just sent her the message to let her know that she could have one of my kidneys and I would give it up gladly. Thing is though, I wanted to make sure that her Miracle got to be raised by her precious mother that worked so hard to bring her into the world.

When I was only 5, I lost my mom to Crohns Disease so I had to rely on my daddy most of the time. Yes, I had some wonderful aunts and a great, grandmother but that wasn’t like having my mommy. She never saw me graduate on time, go to prom, get married or have my babies. I did not want one more little girl to lose her mother if there was anyway that I could help.

Being a match was a long shot because we were friends, not family. Turns out, that doesn’t matter. After almost a year of tests, blood work, and many trips to the transplant center, I received a call from my case manager while I was at work on the 2nd day of March. I was so afraid to answer but so anxious at the same time. Was this call going to tell me I had to do more testing, I wasn’t a viable match, what would they tell me. When I heard her ask if I was ready for transplant, I had to have her repeat herself. After a year of phone calls only to say that more tests was needed, I was in shock. I could not wait to let my friend know that we were going to be giving her life back to her and her baby. Somehow, Teresa knew the entire time that I was going to be the match. That’s how the Lord Jesus Christ works. He put us together for a reason and told her the whole time that I was going to be the match.

Sure enough, it was an almost prefect match if there is such a thing. Yes, I gave my friend a kidney, but I gave so much more to her baby girl and that was the goal the whole time. I want to see her cheering her baby on at sports from the stands, crying at her daughters graduation, dancing at her wedding and holding her hand when she brings Teresa’s grand-babies into the world. That is all that I want for them too. Giving my friend her life back was one of the best and most humbling things that I could have ever done. I didn’t do it for anything other, than wanting to give Miracle Faith a mommy that could do anything and everything that she wanted without having to depend on dialysis. Teresa Bush Bolin received a new kidney from me on March 30th 2017 and was home from the hospital 3 days later. She is healthy and things are going great for us both.