Picture this: It’s an icy morning in February 2007 and I have a two-hour delay before venturing into my fifth-grade classroom. My Dad treats me like a princess so, of course, he’s going to drive me to school after his six-month checkup at the doctor’s. All is well in my life.
With the opening of a door and a somber look, my world turned upside down. That morning my Dad was informed his Renal Disease had progressed from Stage II to Stage IV in a short matter of time. He would be placed on the National Kidney Registry list and would begin dialysis while waiting for a match to receive a kidney transplant. My life changed forever.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human services reports each day 22 people die while waiting for a kidney transplant. This statistic alone became my family’s reality. Through the struggles of my Dad starting dialysis, I was starting middle school. I no longer worried about opening my locker, instead I was googling terms like nephrology and kidney donation success rates. I told myself from that point on I wanted to help people and one day I wanted to donate my kidney to save another family from the heartache of renal failure.
Just last week I started the process of becoming a living donor and I know sixth grade me would beyond proud. We put so many limits on what we are able to do because of our age and sure to be a living donor you have to be a certain age, but if we’re all willing and able to help those around us why not take a shot at it?
I want to be a living donor because I know what it felt like to be an 11-year-old with a dad going to dialysis three times a week and losing his sense of self.
I know not everyone is going to go out and be tested to be a donor, but even if you do something small for someone else we can each make a difference. No matter how young or old. Age is really just a number.
We can all help each other.
Picture this: My Dad is quickly approaching the ninth anniversary of his kidney transplant. He's healthy, happy, and back to his old self. My family is closer than ever with his kidney donor, a brother-in-law by marriage. I'm excited to begin the journey of living organ donation with my family. And yes, my dad still treats me like a princess.
Our appreciation for life is indescribable.
