Why National Donate Life Month Is so Important to My Family
This month is National Donate Life Month, and as we’re nearing the end of it, I thought I’d share how important this month has become for my family. Here’s the story of my brother Matt and my sister Ashley, which began five years ago this week.
I’ll never forget the G-Day game – UGA football’s spring game – in April 2018. Matt was thin and gaunt, and he wasn’t himself. We all went to Waffle House after the game, and I sat across from him. Watching him that afternoon made me more concerned than ever.
His wife made him go to the doctor the following Monday, and the doctor sent Matt to the emergency room. His blood pressure was through the roof and his kidneys had failed. Matt began an astounding journey that our whole family traveled because we’re so close. He began dialysis soon after that first visit for three days a week. Fortunately, Matt’s employer was extremely accommodating throughout the whole ordeal.
After a while, the doctors cleared Matt for home dialysis, and he soon found out he was eligible for a transplant. We began the process of seeing which family members could donate. I wasn’t able to because of my history of kidney stones, but Ashley could.
In October, less than six months after our ordeal began, the transplant surgery took place and was a success. We still don’t know the exact cause of Matt’s problems, but we’re grateful to God that he’s in great health today.
Even though I was willing to donate, I couldn’t, and if Ashley hadn’t been willing or able to donate her kidney, who knows how long Matt might have had to wait.
That’s why organ donation is so important to us, and it can be to you, too. You can help save a life! Click here to learn more.
Photos: Twitter / DonateLife; Chris Queen