My story begins as a healthy and vibrant 25 year old young lady. I had just finished graduate school and was on my way to starting a new career. Out of no where, I got really sick and was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure! I started taking medication to stabilize my condition but after one year, I had to start dialysis. It took a little over a year to get medically cleared to be added to the transplant waiting list.
On November 17, 2010, over five years after being diagnosed, I received the gift of life in the form of a kidney transplant. An 18 year old young man lost his life to gun violence and his family decided to give the gift of life that gave me a second chance. I am forever grateful to that soul and that family for the gift that they have given me that I could never repay. I hope that knowing that they have saved lives gives them some comfort as they continue to mourn the loss of their loved one. He lives on in me and in the many lives he saved.
Please consider becoming an organ donor. Leave your life legacy with someone who is waiting for a second chance at life. I thank you in advance for saving a life the way that someone has saved mine.
