The MC of the event was Dr. Welchel (Cleos' transplant surgeon) and as is his "norm" he showed up in a white lab coat and his signature cowboy boots...the man even operates in them. He is a very down to earth, laid back man with a gentle soul. He likes to crack jokes and you just want to hug him whenever you're around him. He has been at Piedmont for a very long time and is responsible for helping the hospital grow their living donor program and bringing kidney and liver transplant surgeries to the hospital and making it among the top 10-15 transplant hospitals in the country.
The first guest speakers were Steven and Maryanne Abbate who lost their son in a tragic car accident 5 years ago. His story inspired the movie (released last month) The 5th Quarter. They are from the Atlanta area and they shared their very emotional story about the call that no parent ever wants to receive, the gut wrenching news that their son was declared brain dead and then about their familys' choice to donate his organs. Because of Lukes' gift, 5 lives were saved. They were able to meet the young Mom who rec'd his heart and just recently found out that 2 of the other recipients rec'd their organs at Piedmont Hospital, but they have yet to learn their identity or to meet them. Their story was hard to hear (as a parent especially) and there wasn't a dry eye in the auditorium. They have established a Foundation in Lukes' memory to raise awareness of wreckless teenage driving as well as the need for organ donation. Visit their website for more on their story: www.lukeabbate5thquarter.org
The 2nd speaker was a local radio personality, Melissa Carter from Q100, who received a kidney from her cousin 10 years ago. She shared her story of being a young 29 year old who went to the dr. for a bad case of flu, was given a container for a urine sample, and then told that she was in kidney failure (completely unrelated to why she went to the dr!). She was on dialysis for about a year and a half, then rec'd her transplant at the age of 31, which was 10 years ago. She said the day she was told about her kidney failure, she threw out her cigarettes and hasn't had one since...good for her!!! She talked about living donors being super heroes and that recipients are very much aware of the gift they've been given and want to live their lives in such a way to honor their donors (whether deceased or living). She rec'd her transplant at Piedmont and spoke very highly of the Transplant team, who we know from personal experience are the BEST!!!
It was really special to hear from people who have been on both sides of the organ donation spectrum and who so freely shared their experiences with an audience full of strangers. I shed some tears at both stories, but as I was driving home on I-85 South through Atlanta traffic (for those of you who've been in this traffic, you know what I'm talking about!) I found myself crying to the point where I thought I would need to pull over. I was able to get it together after a few fingers and horns from passing cars...YIKES...and made it home safely. Once in the safety of our home, I seriously lost it. I'm talking full on hysterically crying and I'm thinking to myself "what is your problem?" and then I realized that over the course of the past 13 months, through Jarods' cancer diagnosis and treatment to finding out that Cleo was put on the UNOS transplant list in late summer, that I haven't truly processed it all. Yes, I've shed lots of tears but I would always pull myself together so that others wouldn't see me falling apart or see me as being weak. I know this sounds silly, but my blog is where I am able to journal all my feelings, good or bad and my daughter Sara has been telling me for over a year that one day I would need to truly process all my feelings, and I guess today was that day. I am truly grateful for all that we have and for living in a day and time when medical science can do the things that bring new life to so many people. Our lives have changed so much over the course of the past 13 months and no matter what happens tomorrow, we have today!
On Thursday, it will be 3 months since Cleos' successful kidney transplant. He is doing SO good and as I mentioned earlier, he went back to work a couple of weeks ago. He is enjoying turkey hunting and yes, even yard work!!! He has so much energy and he actually told me last night as he was roaming around the yard after he got home from work, that I "made him like this". Now I'm not sure if that was a compliment or an insult (just kidding), but it makes my heart sing to see him so healthy once again. Jarod went to the dr. last month and rec'd a great report from his oncologist and will be considered in remission end of May/fist of June. We are so very blessed as a family to have them both around and healthy this year.
I plan to live my life with no regrets from here on out...be happy, not worry so much about the small stuff, and if I do leave this earth, make sure that I leave having made it better for someone else :)
