Two years ago today, our son-in-law received his kidney transplant. He has done miraculously well with no signs of rejection. Today, I reflect on the gracious gift of a kidney, that a family of a young woman killed in an accident, donated to our son-in-law. That selfless decision radically changed the lives of our daughter and son-in-law. Gone were their days filled with dialysis, dialysis supplies, and feeling poorly everyday. God has breathed new life into Philip.
Today, I ask my readers to consider organ, marrow or blood donation. Our family has benefited from Philip's organ donation and blood donations by the thousands have been utilized to benefit my health. Other cancer patients and myself search marrow and stem cell registries, with hopes that a perfect match for a transplant can be located.
Unfortunately for me, the perfect match for a transplant has not been located. This was my one last resort at a normal life span according to my NIH specialists. And no matched donor was available. With each person who joins the National Marrow Donor Program registry, I (and many others) receive one more chance of finding that matched donor. Go to: www.marrow.org for additional information.
2 comments:
Stacie,
What about cord blood transplant, or NK cells? And aren't several successful transplants done with less than a perfect match? I hope one turns up, but are the others all out of the question?
Helene
Stacie, I have a friend that is well 18 years post kidney transplant, so there is great hope.
I think I have mentioned this before that mine was a mismatch, my understanding is that there are 12 million people on the registry internationally, it does not have to be just the USA, what do your doctors say about that. Mine donor came from Germany though I know some other transplanted people in the UK that found their donors in the UK.
Keep your hopes alive and someone's cells will be found.
Since my sister did not match she has been very involved in recruiting donors and helping the voluntary organization in Mexico City to incease the awareness of donating SC.
Always thinking of you
Chonette
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