Holly
Kidney Recipient
I knew something was wrong when I was unable to meet daily needs and spend quality time with my family.
I found out I was in kidney failure when I found out I was pregnant with my second child.
Getting this news made me so afraid I would miss the opportunity to watch my children grow up; to watch them thrive. It was so scary.
On May 17th, 2024, at 11:00PM at night, I had just started my first cycle of peritoneal dialysis, the phone rang…. I almost didn’t answer because I didn’t recognize the number. When I answered the voice on the other end said to “be there by 2”
What went through my head was “Who is this and where do I need to be?”
It was the Transplant hospital “we have a match for you” is all I remember them saying.
I screamed, I jumped, I cried, but ultimately, I was a nervous wreck.
Since my kidney transplant, my life has changed drastically for the better. I now have enough energy to bake, I can stand long enough to cook, I can spend quality time with my children, and I can travel and take pictures that I actually look healthy in.
Currently we are planning a small vacation. We plan to visit my daughter in Florida and stay a couple weeks; something I never would have been able to do while I was sick. Because of this gift, I’m able to go back to school in a year, to become a mortician. I’m very excited about being able to go to school and complete my childhood dream job.
Getting to and from my follow up appointments can be tricky as the transplant hospitals are far away from my home. However, the patient assistance fund has helped me tremendously. Being a single mother on a fixed income makes traveling difficult, especially when you live roughly 150 miles from the center. It’s allowed me to use a gas card for my transplant follow up, and not to have to use money out of my pocket for gas. That’s more money I have for my children.
My donor truly doesn’t know what a special gift that he has given me. He has given me more opportunities in life than I had before. He has unchained me from a machine that I was on 10 to 12 hours daily. I can’t put into words what his gift meant to me. I will do everything I can to keep myself and my donor’s kidney healthy.
I truly believe that my donor is my guardian angel!
