Richie

In the spring of 2021, my life took a U-turn. I ended an 8-year relationship, lost part of my vision, and was out of work, leaving me with no choice but to move back in with my parents. Not quite the 30-something dream I had planned. I didn’t know it then, but I was in for a 2.5-year journey. That April, I found out I was in stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD), and by June, I was at stage 5 and needing dialysis. August rolled around, and I had surgery to start peritoneal dialysis. This was supposed to be a peaceful 8-hour treatment while I slept. Turns out, I’d actually signed up for a sleepless “hospital-at-home” experience—right there in my bedroom.

Being a type 1 diabetic, my blood sugars would hit the roof during dialysis. Eight hours of dialysis turned to 10, then to 12-plus. At this point, I felt like I was working a night shift for no pay! I was dehydrated, constantly in the ER, and every day became a tired blur. But thankfully, I found an amazing crafting community on TikTok that lifted my spirits and helped me keep going. I even started making cups to stay busy. Sitting at my desk crafting, half-asleep but determined, I felt like some sort of artsy vampire.

Balancing all this with family was tricky. I love to travel, but lugging 30-pound boxes of dialysis solution made even a weekend away feel like an episode of Survivor. Getting listed for a transplant felt like time had slowed to a crawl. Parson James’ Waiting Game became my anthem—“There’s just this waiting game, and I don’t know how to play. It’s enough of a fight staying alive anyway.” That hit hard. I had to become my own advocate.

Around that time, I started going back to church, and before long, I got referred to U of L, where I’d end up receiving my transplant. The church was praying for an upcoming project, and I remember asking God to let everyone feel His promises. Then the next morning, my mom woke me up screaming like the house was on fire—we both missed the call from U of L. The big one! I was getting both a kidney and pancreas. That Saturday, as they rolled me back for surgery, the nurses paused to pray with me, and I felt like I was wrapped in a thousand invisible hugs.

The surgery went amazingly well—my donor organs kicked in right away, and I was walking around in no time. The staff was stunned, though I did my best to play it cool (hey, all in a day’s work!). Since then, I’ve been embracing this new life. I can finally get out and go to my appointments without needing a day to recover. I got to take my nieces and nephews to Buc-ee’s, went on a mission trip to Oklahoma with our church youth group, and even climbed Clingmans Dome. I’ve launched an online store with shirts aimed at spreading a little love.

Through it all, I’ve stayed connected to my donor’s family. My donor, Tristin, was working on a Ph.D. in toxicology and cancer research. He was also an animal lover, like me. In a way, he “cured” both my CKD and diabetes. He loved bourbon and golf, though I’ll stick to mini-golf! I’ll never stop being grateful for this incredible gift, and I plan to honor Tristin’s legacy by living life to the fullest, one adventure at a time.