Today (April 3) Is My First Kidneyversary!

Today I am celebrating my first Kidneyversary! My Kidney named April, is doing well.........

I'd like to share a video of my story here that my loving husband, who donated one of his kidneys to someone in a paired exchange so that I could receive a kidney in return.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC_2ThQNKD8&feature=youtu.be

Here is also a write up of my journey that I'd like to share with you also that I had posted on my Facebook page yesterday......

Tomorrow, on April 3 is my first kidneyversary day! One year ago tomorrow I received the Gift of Life and I'm so excited to be celebrating this very special day with my husband, family and friends! My kidney named April is doing well

I am so grateful and thankful to my special and very loving husband who gave me the gift of life indirectly giving me a kidney so that I could live a new life, free of a dialysis machine to keep me alive.

I am still in awe of what Don has done for me, helping give me the Gift of Life. He loves me so much and I love him so much. I remember being so scared last year at this time going into surgery, but hopeful at the same time. We never gave up hope and I am so proud of him every step of the way. He stood by me and never gave up trying to help me.

We have been married almost 19 years this coming June 3. The number 3 has been a significant number in our family. Don and I were married on the 3rd of June and my kidney transplant occurred on April 3. We have 3 children.

As I reflect back since last year, my very last dialysis session treatment that took place at Grand River Hospital on Tuesday, April 2, I left my amazing dialysis unit with such mixed emotions. I was so excited but I knew that I would also miss my second special little family at my unit and was about to embark on starting a new journey, a new life, one that was unknown but also had hope. I was scared for Don. I was more scared for him than for me because I'd had several major abdominal surgeries in the past, so I was naturally more scared for him, what risks he was up against. I had lost my Dad when I was only 13 years old, so I did not want our children to not have a father while growing up.

When we married in 1995 I never imagined Don donating one of his kidneys to save me. He is very special to me. I will be forever grateful to him and to my donor for what they have done for me. I will never forget the look on his face when we saw each other the next day when we could see each other.

During this much-anticipated moment of reuniting after our surgeries, we cried tears of joy, we were so relieved and thankful that we were both alive and well. It was the most special moment in my life when I could say thank you to him. I am teary-eyed right now as I write about this moment. It is definitely a very special time with Don that I will still get emotional (in a good way) the same as when he offered to help me when we first discovered my kidney failure and that I would need to continue dialysis until I could one day have a transplant.

I give thanks to my donors every day. I hope and pray that the person who helped give me life is also alive and doing well. I also hope and pray that the recipient who received Don's kidney is alive and doing well today also.

The week that I was at St. Joseph's hospital where I received my Gift of Life, I still remember the day that I was admitted to St. Joseph's Hamilton (my transplant hospital) and my 5 day stay following surgery. I received so many heart-warming compliments from the staff and doctors that they were very amazed how well and healthy I was prior to my transplant. This made me feel so good. I will never especially forget the kind compliments of the gentleman named Jim from the recovery room. A few days after my transplant as he saw me walking in the hallways and was amazed at how good I looked post transplant and as to how well I was doing. The staff, doctors and nurses at St. Joseph's have been absolutely amazing.

I give thanks to my parents and extended family for what they have done for me, for those who have been there for Don and I and our family. I give thanks also for who they are and what they have done for my family and I. They have all been a very special part of this journey also. You all have stood by us and have supported us since the beginning of our journey. I can't thank you enough for your help.

For the last year it has been absolutely amazing to be home with my children, my family. I give thanks to my children who have also been so patient and so loving through this whole journey, I love them so much and I'm over the moon that I can be home to see my kids off to school every school day morning and that I can be home on a Saturday morning instead of having to do treatments. Being their Mom is an amazing feeling and it brings me joy and happiness that they are happy that I'm home now. I very much look forward to spending many more years with you. It's because of you that I chose to fight to live and not give up the fight in August of 2010 when I nearly died.

I give thanks to my many special friends whom I will always remember the kindness of those who came to visit Don and I in the hospital and who helped us with meals and visited following my transplant . Your friendship, kindness and support has meant so much to me and I am so grateful for everyone's help and support. Out of a negative thing of having my kidneys fail me in August of 2010, I have had a very positive blessing come from it and have made many new friends. I'm so grateful and thankful for all of my friends.

In the last few years I had made a few very special friends who were so inspiring to me in my journey. Since January of this year, Kayla Baker, Jeffery Heffernan and Tim Novak have all passed away and they have been a great loss to the organ donation awareness community and beyond. We have lost some very special and amazing friends and has been very sad and devastating that they lost their battle. But their spirit still lives on and I think of them every day and how inspiring they have been to myself and to many.

Kayla and I shared April 3, 2013 as our transplant date and I have always felt honored to have shared this very special day with her. I will never forget her inspiration. So on this very special day of my kidney transplant and Go Green for Kayla today on April 3 I will wear green to celebrate and promote organ donation awareness.

I hope that people will be inspired and will wear green today. Please sign up at beadonor.ca to register your consent to donate your organs and become an organ donor today. You could be that someone who can help make a difference and save someone's life.