Eight years ago yesterday, I was as close to death as a living human being can be. I had received a kidney transplant years earlier but a random bite by a baby Brown Recluse Spider had killed that kidney. Dialysis was no longer working for me and my heart was failing. My blood pressure was a staggering and stroke prone 220 over 185. My doctor, a wonderful and caring man, with tears in his eyes, had told me that I had but a few short weeks to live at best without a transplant. My family was in New Orleans, still badly battered by Hurricane Katrina. Dialysis centers did not exist and transplants were impossible there. I was a captive in New York with few friends and dwindling resources contemplating suicide to ease the burden Id become on what few friends I had supporting me. Essentially, my lone support came from author Tanner Colby, critic Rex Reed, comedian Richard Belzer and my great friend Larry Holmes. I was a walking dead man physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. As a last grasp at life, I had wandered the internet and came upon a site, matchingdonors. Within hours I had found a match and was emailing with her. Within days we met and started the process toward transplant surgery. Eight years ago today I held my mothers hand and entered an operating room on a gurney. A few hours later I awoke in recovery, already feeling better. Eight years later, here I am. Ive written movies, a book, seen my familys ancestral home in England and tried my best to have earned this gift. I do my best to be my best. To those I have helped, I assure you it has not been enough to repay my debt. To those I have angered or offended, I most humbly and sincerely apologize. Was it a miracle or just a lucky break? I believe it was a miracle. So many of us wonder if miracles still happen. I assure you they do. They happen everyday. I urge you to be an organ donor at death or in life via matchingdonors. Miracles need a little help to happen sometimes. Make a miracle happen wont you?
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 22:57:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015