Thanksgiving & giving thanks

 

This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for. Due in part to the Free beer and Hot wings show who read an e-mail and possibly changed my moms future. Also, to all the people who, with selfless generosity offered to give a kidney to save a strangers life. Yours is a gift unlike any other.

 A few short months ago I listened on the phone, feeling helpless as my mom told me she would need a kidney transplant. Two days ago we sat in the transplant clinic and listened to the devastating statistics of how many people with kidney disease actually get that kidney. Not many!!! In 2010  90,000 people were on the waiting list for a kidney, only 828 transplants were performed. Not very encouraging statistics, but motivating ones.

Then yesterday came. I sat in the car on my way to work and listened to the fbhw show as usual, but this time I was listening to them talk about me!!! The adrenalin stared pumping, my hands got shaky, and I had a smile on my face 10 miles wide that I haven't been able to wipe off since. I sat in my car as the e-mails came in. All total strangers willing to help save my moms life simply because they heard she was in need. To all those people I wish I could clone you, what a better world we live in because we share it with people like you.

The rest of the day I hugged and kissed just about everyone I saw. Nothing could have ruined my day. I called my mom and told her the good news. Its hard to relay how excited we both were, no words seem adequate. Jubilant, overjoyed, elated, euphoric pick one, we felt it!  Then, ever the reassuring mom she said, see I knew everything would work out o.k..  I can't wait to play the audio from the show so she can hear for herself all the responses.  

So, this Thanksgiving day as we sit around our table, you can rest assured we will have all of you who cared enough to come forward and offer a kidney in our hearts. And all the rest of you who came to my blog, read it , and maybe passes it along will be there too.