Author Archive
My Hero – by Savilla Kress
Have you considered becoming a registered organ donor? I registered when I was 16 years old. I believe the expression “You can’t take it with you” also applies to your body. It’s a nice feeling knowing that when I pass on, I could save up to 50 lives. I could never have known then that one day I would need a kidney transplant myself.
The person who donated his kidney to me is a man named Stephen McClelland. He found out online that I was in end stage renal failure, and he wanted to help. We had never met. He stepped forward to donate one of his kidneys to me. It was an incredible gift Stephen gave me… Life. (more…)
Update on Kina, from Nimisha
Friends of 65_RedRoses,
With the recent passing of our friend Meg we wanted to give you all an update on Kina. Kina’s good friend Anthony was kind enough to send us some information since at the moment she has been admitted to Cleveland Clinic. In recent months she has been in and out of hospitals in the Pittsburgh area for various reasons. While a number of unfortunate events (including a fire where she lost all her belongings) displaced Kina from her home, we are happy to hear that she is in a loving relationship and is currently engaged to her fiancé Jeremy.
She has been seeing Doctor Budev, and they are doing many tests on her to find out why her health has been declining.
As many of you in the CF community will understand (and as we see repeatedly in the film) there can be long painful stretches in the hospital. To pass the time, Kina has been writing. Here are some excerpts from a recent post:
Chronic Rejection. It’s reared its head. Really bad this time. So many words left unsaid. So many people I love and cherish are going to be hurt by this. My health is going to decline. It’s basically like having my old lungs back…. I’m not depressed. Just hurting. I had 6 good years of transplant. I have changed lives. Inspired. Aided. Created. I’ve been through hell, and yet I still smile. Those who help me. I don’t have enough words to tell you how much it means to me. I sit here listening to other patients, they gasp, cough, choke, and cry out. I’m back in the ol’ ball and chain of fighting to breathe. I will pray for everyone. Not for myself. I don’t need anything but love.
More updates to come. Sending lots of love to Kina and all the CFers out there in hospital beds. (more…)
“Before You Complain” – by Savilla Kress
Thank you to Savilla Kress (also a transplant recipient) for allowing us to repost this blog from her blog SavillaCreations! (Originally posted on March 27, 2013)
Before you complain about mundane things like weather and traffic, consider taking a breath. Breathe in deep and feel the air go into your lungs. Imagine the oxygen nourishing your cells. Take a deep breath. This is a luxury which many people don’t have. Yesterday Meg Moore passed away from Cystic Fibrosis. She was 25 years old. Meg left behind a young son who probably will never remember how it felt to be held by his mother. (more…)
Gearing up for Organ Donation Month!
Please Share our video made of clips from the DVD extras, in support of Organ Donation for the Month of April. (National Donate Life Month in the US!)
Spring is finally upon us – and we are gearing up for Organ Donation Month activities, all during April! All our #4Eva items (DVDs, T’s Art Cards) are 25% off our online store with the promo code: organdonor#4Eva
I’m quite excited to be working on the #4Eva Campaign this year. One personal reason – A few weeks ago, a friend of mine passed away suddenly, but had been an advocate for organ donation, which his family made a point to recognize in the midst of the tragedy. My friend who passed was an incredibly generous human being – one of those people in your life that lacks any malice in their spirit, but instead spreads joy and happiness to those around him. I was really moved when I heard that he made it a point to spread the word about organ donation during his short life, as it revealed that his generosity extends beyond the end of his life. Although I never personally met Eva, her message of love and giving resonates so much with my relationship with my friend, whose life emanated love, joy, and generosity. It’s a message that I think is at the heart of the #4Eva Campaign – and a message worth spreading!
My hopes for Organ Donation Month are that we can inspire people around us to want to be involved with the campaign, and build momentum for a movement for organ donation. (more…)
