National Donor Day was a few weeks ago and March is National Kidney Month! Both of which rustle up strong emotions for me. Spreading awareness is important.
According to UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) organ donation reached an a record high in 2021! However there are still over 100,000 people actively waiting on the national transplant list? There is still plenty of work to do!
Are you a registered organ donor? Donation saves lives. Every single day. You never know whose life you might be saving.
If you are not a register organ donor, you can register here! I am happy to answer any questions you might have about becoming a donor. There are many opportunities to donate beyond organ, eye and tissue donation. Consider giving plasma, blood, or marrow. Visit the Donate Life or Unos for more donor resources!
We are no strangers to sickness, to hospitals. In fact, at times they have felt more like home for the majority of my childhood. Casey was born with a posterior urethral valve, that wasn’t discovered for many years. Chronic ear infections, headaches, and vomiting. Almost like clockwork. His body was full of toxins and his kidneys were dying from a young age.
Eventually, from my mothers deep intuition, his sickness was discovered. Enter the most amazing physician at Children’s Medical Center here in Dallas. Dr. Ewalt started with a vesicostomy, this allowed for an alternative way of evacuating urine from his bladder and preventing toxic waste from backing up into his kidneys.
A short time later, a kidney was removed. With constant doctor visits he was able to manage with one kidney and vesicostomy for a considerable amount of time. Just before Casey’s senior year of high school things took a dramatic turn. His kidney function reached critical. He needed a kidney and fortunately my dad was a match! Christmas time of 2003 my dad and brother underwent a kidney transplant simultaneously.
Casey had a new lease on life. He was healthier than he had ever been in his life. This kidney lasted almost 10 years until the next battle for his life.
Around this very time ten years ago, our world was closing in. A place we had been many times before, but this time was different. He was more sick than he had ever been. His Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was back to End-Stage-Renal-Disease (ESRD). There were several transfusions, peritoneal dialysis placement, and countless days in the hospital, again. He needed another kidney and started dialysis for the first time. Every moment with him felt like a gift.
I plan on walking through this story as if it were in real time. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to register to be a donor. Living donation is wonderful, but so is giving your organs upon death!
