This is a video I was proud of...sharing our story...getting the word out.
http://www.11alive.com/video/default.aspx?menuid=149#/News/Daily+11+%40+7-+%235+18+month+old+gets+a+new+kidney/49906865001/50317397001/68957395001
And then I opened my eyes and pushed my own feelings from that joyous moment aside. I'm glad they got the message of hope. People need to hold on to that - especially if that is all they have left. I wanted to be an advocate for so many things - unborn babies, preemies, the suffers of kidney disease, those waiting on the transplant list...and on and on. But I just can't do it all. I can't spread myself so thin, because then it all suffers. I'm not giving all of me to anyone.
So I have made a decision to pick up where the video left off...I'm going to be an advocate for donors. Everyone tells me - you must be so happy with your surgeon, nephrologist, hospital, caretakers...everyone. Yes. They say "this would never have happened without all of them to take care of Matthew". True, in a way. But honestly, it wouldn't have NEEDED to happen without Marie.
Without Marie's unwavering resolve to get my child healthy for the first time in his life...the hospital professionals would have been doing something else that day. A doctor can't make a working kidney out of thin air - and the one that does will be a multi-millionaire! He needs someone to volunteer, living or upon death, to give a kidney that works. Right now, according to the UNOS list, there are over 106,000 people waiting for an organ transplant, and 17 die each day because there are not enough organs to go around. So many are taken to Heaven, when Heaven KNOWS we need them here!
My sister in law and I will be walking in the Kidney Walk, sponsored by the Kidney Foundation on April 24th. We have formed a team - Team M&M (in hope for Matthew and in honor of Marie). We will wear green to signify the donor awareness ribbon. Please visit our site: http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/GeorgiaandAlabama?px=1606628&pg=personal&fr_id=2431 Join our team! Help us make our goal and give the most we can to bettering the lives of others that are still waiting. Let us walk together (in person and in our hearts) to give them hope. So they know people care. So people can learn the truth about organ donation instead of the taboo.
If the life of your loved one depended on a list...I bet you would sign your donor card in a hurry.
1 comment:
You don't know what it means to me to have Adam included! Thank you so much!!
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