The Donor Search Continues and My Grade School Friend...
After my three brothers were not viable donor candidates something truly amazing happened. My good friend, Nancy, who I first met when I was in Grade 2, stated she wanted to be tested next. Nancy’s testing started the end of July 2020. My first text from her with bloodwork results, dated August 5th, stated, “I am a match for you!!! Sounds like we are dating lol”.
Over the next few months, Nancy completed most of the testing. She was very pro-active calling doctors to try to speed things along. There were a couple “breath-holding” weeks while we waited for a specific test to come back which we though may decline her. All the time Nancy reminding me to stay positive. We even thought we would get the “green light” when the kidney coordinator started talking about possible surgery dates (the donor gets to choose the date) when a glitch occurred. The doctor spotted something in her left kidney upon reviewing an ultrasound. She was declined October 21st. We were both devastated. Again, I’m honestly not sure who more. Like Neil, Nancy continues to feel like she was supposed to be “the one” to have donated a kidney to me.
To get a better understanding of just what a special person Nancy is, when a psychologist asked her (as part of the kidney workup) how she would feel if her kidney failed after being donated, she did not state that she would be disappointed, or that that it was a waste of time going through surgery, giving up a kidney, etc., but instead told the doctor she would be concerned with how I felt. The psychologist shared this with me as she let me know this is not how most people respond.
So now what to do? I had run out of possible kidney donor options. A couple friends/relatives stepped forward, or maybe would have, but were not considered candidates due to their own medical issues.