YOU SAVED MY LIFE!

Talk about perserverance! I love this story!

Scott wrote:

I'm 43 years old and my mother is 71 years old. Since I was a small child the only family I had was my mother and
my grandma (granny) who was blind and in a wheelchair. My granny was a special "hillbilly" who we looked after with
love till she died in 1993. She never had a worry in the world despite being blind and in a wheelchair...except for one
thing. She always said "what are you and your mother gonna do when I die?” (we always fought and never got along,
basically never spoke.)

The week granny died my mother was diagnosed with kidney disease. We have been best friends from that day forward.

My mother took procriat shots once a week until February 04' when she had complete kidney failure. We never really
thought her kidneys would fail. I was allowed to go into the dialysis area, room, whatever, which I hear is uncommon and
I knew right then I was gonna TRY to donate to my mother.

This is when I think that GOD intervened. Since I was a teenager I got stoned in the morning and drunk in the afternoon.
(just like the song) I don't mean recreational. I'm talking I smoked at least an ounce a week and drank 12-18 beers a day for
over 20 years. Never missing a day. Along the way I probably did enough cocaine to kill a good Colombian and basically did
every drug on the street. Then in August of 2003 a tree fell on me and about killed me.

In May of 05' my mother was turned downed by the transplant team. They basically said that dialysis and age had taken
its toll and she would not survive the surgery.

I convinced the doctor to give my mother another shot. I told him if he'd give me a couple months I'd get my mother in
shape. He was very reluctant but said he would see us again in July. He made it clear that he felt it was a waste of time. That
day when we got home we started a regiment consisting of walking, lifting cans of soup (8 oz) etc... I hid her handicap parking
permit so she'd have to walk further, I dropped things in the floor, intentionally dirtied up the kitchen, took clean clothes and
would rub them in the dirt, spill things, throw trash out in the yard...u name I did it. She never caught on. I cried everyday
thinking I was committing the ultimate sin.

July 7 05' my mother was cleared for a transplant. The doctors held their ground and said the average time to receive a
cadaver kidney was about 4 years and that it was not feasible for her to go on the list. I was the only potential donor and the
only hope.

On my first test I found out my blood was a match, creatinene was .8, and cholesterol was 157. The coordinator said
this was quite unique for some one of my size. I was 5' 10" and weighed 240 pounds. She was totally unaware that I was a
chronic alcoholic and drug addict.

During the next couple of months I stopped using drugs, sobered up and lost 40 pounds. On September 20th 2005 I
did the improbable. I donated a kidney to my mother.

The doctors were right however, and I was informed when I woke up that my mother’s heart had stopped twice during
the surgery and she probably would not make it......... I didn't sleep for the next 36 hours. She was in ICU for 4 days and
stayed in the hospital for 15 days.

God intervened again. AS OF LAST WEEK MY MOTHER IS DOING GREAT AND HER CREATINE IS .7 THE LOWEST THE
TRANSPLANT CENTER IN CHARLOTTE HAS EVER SEEN.

Thank you – Scott

UPDATE: Yes - it's ok to share the story - and one more thing -- You must read my story for this to make sense.... anyway, a
few weeks a go my mother was talking to me and said, “you saved my life son.” I RESPONDED BY SAYING "NO MOMA YOU SAVED MY LIFE."

~Karol