Kidney amounts to Christmas gift of lifeA Jones County couple is celebrating more than Christmas this year; they are celebrating the gift of life.
Keisha Pitts has been on the kidney transplant list for eight months and is scheduled for transplant surgery Jan. 16. Her husband Jonathan said that this has to be one of their best Christmases ever.
The kidney for the transplant is coming from a living donor, and perhaps the most wonderful aspect of the gift is that it is not from a relative, but from a friend.
“As I think about Christmas, I am reminded that Jesus is the real reason for the season. I have reflected back on how good God has been to us over the past seven years that Keisha and I have been dealing with kidney disease. The number seven has significant meaning to me now,” Jonathan said.
He pointed out that God created the heavens and the earth in seven days, and he also remembers a preacher saying that seven is the number of completion.
“We have gone through seven years of trials and tribulations. But through it all, God has prepared us for this moment. I can’t imagine what God has in store for Keisha and me in the near future,” the husband said.
He said he is anticipating many more blessings, and he is excited about this upcoming year. It will be year number eight, which has been said to represent a ‘new beginning’.
“This is our new beginning and I thank God for it. I am amazed at the power of God. He is working in our lives every day. He has given us a testimony and we are honored and thankful this Christmas to share with the world how good God has been to us,” Jonathan added.
Keisha said for her Christmas will extend into January as she receives the best present, ‘the gift of life’.
“My focus has changed. I have thought about all of the excitement that surrounds buying that special gift for Christmas. I have realized that there is not a price tag that can be placed on my gift. It is priceless. My transplant is a gift from God,” she said.
She explained that meaning of Christmas has been made personal for her.
Keisha said she is reminded that God gave the greatest gift.
“A Savior was born so that we may have eternal life. To me that is the true meaning of Christmas. I am grateful for the gift of eternal Life and I am grateful for the ‘gift of life’. This year feels like a new beginning for me. I am looking forward to feeling better, although I have learned to trust God through my infirmities,” she said.
Keisha admitted her situation has been difficult, but she said it has made her relationship with Jonathan stronger.
“We love harder, we pray more, and our faith continues to grow stronger and stronger every day. For that, I am truly thankful. God has shown us favor, and we have a testimony to share. This Christmas we are proud to share how amazing God is and how good He has been to us.”
Keisha is the Pre-K coordinator for Jones County. Jonathan thanked the community, School Superintendent Jim LeBrun, and said the employees of Jones County schools have truly been a blessing to him and Keisha.
“We appreciate everyone who participated and contributed to our fund-raising campaign. We are thankful for the prayers and acts of kindness. I truly believe that God answers prayers,” he said. “You know, the average person may stay on the kidney transplant list for years. But, Keisha has only been on the transplant list for eight months. On January 16th she will have her kidney transplant. That’s what the power of prayer can do.”
Keisha said she is thankful for the support of family, friends, her church, and the community.
“I cannot think of a better place to work than Jones County Schools. Mr. LeBrun and the school system have truly supported our ‘Kidney 4 Keisha’ campaign. I have met several people along the way who I know God put in my path to bless me. I met my donor about six years ago, and we became friends,” she said.
Keisha said she believes it was destined for her and her donor to meet, for this purpose, that she would be such a blessing.
“I have met people who have blessed me through their own personal testimony or they may have prayed with me. They know who they are, and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. God continues to give me confirmation, and I am thankful that you all are a part of it. I want to say to my donor, I love you and I hope that one day I can be a blessing to you as you are a blessing to me,” she stated.
Keisha was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2001. The couple had recently married and Jonathan took her to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. The doctors at the clinic told her she had granulomatosis intestinal nephritis caused by sarcoidosis. The disease is prevalent in African-Americans and can attack any major organ in the body. The comedian Bernie Mac died from the disease.
Keisha was told the disease was already in the end stages but it was not time for a transplant. They told her she had to wait until it got worse. It has been seven years and eight months ago she became candidate for a transplant.
Her kidney function is down to 10 percent. She said she is tired most of the time but she has not had to undergo dialysis.
“I am amazed at how quickly the process has moved with the testing of my donor. I have been on the transplant list since April, and it has taken about three months for the donor testing. The transplant committee agreed that my donor was a good candidate for transplant on the day before Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving had more meaning for me; I was truly thankful,” she said.
Keisha’s expected recovery period is two months, and she plans to return to work around the end of March or the first of April.
The transplant will be done at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, and the family’s social worker is helping with the financial part of the transplant. She was approved for matching funds up to $10,000 by the Georgia Kidney Transplant Foundation.
Jonathan has become a fund-raising machine with almost constant raffles and even a health fair this summer. They have until June to raise the money to receive the matching funds.
Keisha said the fund-raisers have been very successful, and she would like to thank everyone for their participation and support. The most recent fund-raiser was a raffle for a UGA helmet signed by Mark Richt, and the winner was Lynde Lowery from Milledgeville.
“We have more fund-raisers planned in hopes of meeting our goal. As I begin my recovery in January, our fund-raisers may be postponed until February or March. The Access to Care Program has given us until June 2009 to meet our goal. We plan to continue our fund-raisers until we meet our goal, and we are considering having an event in March as a finale to our campaign. The timing would be perfect, as March is National Kidney Awareness month,” she said.
Keisha comes from a large family, but none of her brothers or sisters were viable donors. She was overwhelmed by the people who volunteered. The list of possible donors was narrowed to three and finally one.
Keisha had hip surgery in October for core decompression caused by the prednisone she has taken for years for her kidney failure. What is good for bones is not good for kidneys. Calcium and protein are bad for kidneys, and she can have no sugar, no salt, no calcium, and no protein. Basically, she eats grapes and apples.
Jonathan is overwhelmed with gratitude for the woman who is donating the kidney to his wife.
“For the young lady who is giving Keisha the gift of life, she is truly an angel. Words cannot express the appreciation and gratitude that I have for her,” he said.
Jonathan paraphrased the Bible verse, John 15:13, which asks what greater love is there than for a brother to lay down his life for his brother?
“So we want to say to our angel, thank you, because what you do will impact our lives and our family for generations to come,” he said. “We are grateful and thankful for your willingness to offer the gift of life.”
Donations for ‘Kidney 4 Keisha’ may be made to an account at Security Bank of Jones County or may be sent to P.O. Box 1023, Gray, GA,, 31032.
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