A Mothers Fight To Find A Kidney

I remember these words as if they were just said yesterday. Mommy, my kidneys are failing. Once our kidneys are out of complete functioning, the real challenge starts. The fight in looking for a kidney donor and finding the perfect match for your body, but this is not all of it. Once my son's doctors told him that he would be needing to get a kidney transplant sooner rather than later, after getting multiple tests and procedures, he was put on the kidney transplant list to find a donor.

Our hope keeps getting crushed

His kidney was at risk of renal failure and before that happens, his doctors told us that we should start looking for a healthy kidney, and put him on the transplant list as soon as possible. We had to use the time wisely before things got worse. The search started the day he was enlisted, but there is more to this story than just getting on the transplant list. Our hope keeps getting crushed after every test and after every call that they don’t have a potential kidney match for him yet.

The fight is real every day, every week, and every month. The drill became mundane with every rejection, the hope being crushed every time he received a call that the tests are negative, and he had to wait for more. His physical health was at stake but so was his mental health. I was in panic and distress some days.

Our family got tested, too

His doctors are great and they always handle him with extra care and guidance. They make sure that he was telling them everything he needs to during his appointment. His counselor is also making sure that he is not building up any extra stress.

Although he is on the kidney transplant list, our family still stepped up to get tested as well. My son had different emotions about this, but he mainly felt happiness. It showed him how much his family loved him and that they were ready to go the extra mile. But he was also sad because they had to go through this for him.

This is not the end, but the beginning as we all know it now. Finding a perfect kidney match is one side of the story. The other side is how his body will react to a new organ if he gets a transplant.

Faith keeps us moving forward

Right now, every step is like putting our feet in blinding darkness, without knowing where we will end up. It's our faith that keeps us all going - faith in ourselves, and the love of people around us.

We have not found a donor at this time, but we will never give up hope. I read this quote somewhere. It said, "the years in your life don’t matter, it’s the life in your years." There is so much truth to that. It’s all about your quality of life.  Live your life fully!