05/16/2025
Words cannot describe the gratefulness in my heart today.
My dear sweet mother has been struggling with kidney failure for the last couple years. She’s been on the transplant list, bumped up to “high priority” then paused due to a cancer discovery on one kidney which paused her on the list. We remained faithful and positive that the day would come for her to receive a kidney. She wouldn’t take a family members kidney at this point. After a year of making sure the cancer wouldn’t come back, she got back onto the active list, just this April. She wakes up early every other day to go to dialysis, and has been accepting of her new routine knowing it keeps her alive.
Then Wednesday happened. At 10am, the call came. Go Time. She had to be at UPenn asap. Our immediate family all came to the hospital as the nurses and surgeons prepped her. By 3:30 she was in surgery. Receiving two kidneys. Five hours later, they closed her up and we were able to see her smiling face again.
Our hearts, filled with all sorts of emotions, broke for the kind 60 year old woman who tragically lost her life that morning due to an accident. Her family wanted to help others. Those people are our heroes. And we mourn their loss with them, forever grateful, forever in awe at the generosity, and constantly amazed that this woman, had the exact same rare blood and tissue type as my mom. There were no other possible matches for her kidneys than my mom, so they gave her both. This is what we call God’s timing. He knew. He knows both of them. And only He decided when the right time was.
Now we wait patiently for the kidneys to start working. It could be days or weeks the doctors say. We are hoping for it to happen quickly. She remains in the hospital for a few more days, and will be home recovering afterwards. This is a journey we weren’t expecting to happen so quickly. Some people wait for a kidney for years, some never receive one. We for sure are glad there are good people out there willing to share and donate when the time comes. It will give my mom a longer and healthier life. We are aware of how very blessed we are to have this gift of life.
Please pray for continuing healing for my mom, and no rejection of the kidneys. My mom will honor the woman who passed by living a life filled with joy and love. Pray for the woman’s family that they may find peace with the knowledge that she saved many people.
Love you, Mom.
