kidney transplant

Racing Buddies

Our family had been waiting so long for this moment. Our Dad was finally going to be receiving a life saving organ. We spent a few years looking for a donor. Our family tested and some were matches but were unable to donate for health reasons. I think people would be surprised by the extensive process of finding a match. It can take several months to go through the various health screenings. After lots of ups and downs of finding a match, a lady in our ward was a match and able to take the time off of work to donate. We were so excited! However, nothing goes as planned and Dad ended up having a heart attack as well as having a lengthy stay in the hospital related to his kidney. It was hard to be in Idaho at the time. I felt pretty helpless. Because of his heart attack, the doctors felt it was best to push the transplant back. We ended up waiting another year! Finally January 13th Denise donated her kidney to my dad. It was an emotionally draining day. We spent hours in the waiting room at the hospital trying to find ways to distract ourselves. I was pretty worried since his last hospital visit was a near death experience for him. However everything went perfect! We weren't able to see him until late that night. It was such a relief. And we couldn't be more thankful to Denise and her family. What a selfless act. In the months since his transplant, I have seen him regain strength and return to the Dad and Boppa I know. We constantly thank our Heavenly Father for blessing our family. We saw many miracles. I also have the most amazing family. They are so supportive!

A beautiful view from the hospital