Our Journey: The Beginning

Our journey began over 17 years ago...there was a little baby boy born on August 26, 1993. He was born a little bit early and was small with a few problems but everything will be okay is what we were told when he was rushed to NICU. The moments surrounding the next few weeks blur together. At one moment we were told he would not make it and we were all allowed into the NICU. We were allowed in to say goodbye to a precious little baby boy named Lucas.  He survived that night and in the next few days had exploratory surgery to discover that he had no kidney's only tissue that was functioning as a kidney would. Through the next several years Lucas went through so much between illnesses and surgery's it seemed that he was always in the hospital. But he was here...he was alive and with us.

That tissue functioned as a kidney would for 2 1/2 years and then it was time for a transplant. Amazing to think that a little boy who was not even 20 pounds, who's squeaky little voice would call out Nana, or call a garbage truck a gunk was going to be receiving a donated kidney. This was a special kidney though one that no one else could give. Lucas's mommy, my sister Rhonda gave Lucas her kidney on May 22, 1996.

That one of a kind Mommy kidney that Lucas received was been a wonderful gift for that last 15 years. But sadly the kidney is now failing. The kidney has done a wonderful job for all of those years, getting through other surgeries and illnesses. I am thankful for that kidney and all those years that it lasted in Lucas. The years that included  him walking for the first time, his Stone Cold Steve Austin stage, the years that he planned his own wrestling company, the death of his Papa, his first football game and most of his high school years.

Lucas is now 17, a junior in high school. He helps out on the Varsity Football team, he is deciding what he would like to do with his future and planning out his senior year in high school. His senior year will be different than most senior's but that really isn't anything new with Lucas, he has rarely had a normal year. His senior year he will be receiving a new gift of life...one that will last hopefully beyond 15 years but one that will never take the place of that special one of a kind mommy kidney.