Tale of Two Kidneys - Chapter Eight

I got this message from the Director of Good Sam Transplant Center last week. I am so excited!

Hi Cynthia,

I just spoke with the nephrologist at PCH. You will be donating to an 11 year old
boy. They have discussed it with him and his family and they are incredibly excited and truly can’t believe it. We have your surgery scheduled at 7:30 on Friday morning, 12/19/08. We will have you checking in at 5:00 am. I also wanted to let you know I got the results of the xray. It looks fine. I understand you are leaving for Portland and I was hoping to reach you before you took off. Please call me with any
questions…we will see you on Thursday. Thank you so much for making this
happen… Madelyn

Tanner and Paige are staying with my mom Thursday night, December 18 through the following Monday when they think I'll get released from the hospital. My surgery will take place at Banner Good Samaritan on McDowell and 11th Street. The boy's surgery will be at Phoenix Children's Hospital and will take place right after mine.

Anyone is welcome to come visit me but it is not necessary at all. If you do want to stop by, please call Jeff's cell phone.

I am so thankful to those who have come before me to make this possible, specifically the first anonymous kidney donor in Phoenix, a women I had the honor to speak to two weeks ago. She saved a lady's life who had diabetes since she was 8 years old and was close to the end of her life in her 40's. Since their surgery, the recipient got married and is expecting grandchildren. After she gave up hope that her life was over, she got to start all over again! May this be the first of many anonymous transplants to children's hospitals.

I am thankful for the doctors, nurses and surgeons who have studied medicine and the human anatomy so that we can heal each other. I am thankful for the ladies at Good Sam Transplant Center for all they have done to make this happen.

I am thankful for my mom for being with my kids for several days in my absence and for my brother who took the day off work to sit with Jeff in the hospital during the surgery.

I am thankful for my friends, the ones that supported me from the beginning and even those who tried to talk me out of it.

I am most thankful to my husband, who has agreed to let his wife and mother of his children take this risk to save a boy whom he has never met. Jeff has supported every dream I've ever had and has selflessly supported me through the ups and downs of this amazing journey that started almost a year ago. He is truly an amazing person.

Lastly, I am thankful for this little 11-year-old boy. See, since he has been sick probably most, if not all of his life, he has had a chance to be brave and demonstrate courage in the face of his illness. And now he is giving me the chance to be brave and do something useful and amazing with my life. If not for his suffering, I would never know what kind of person I am capable of becoming.