Raye

four hours away. So taking her to these visits, taking her to all these classes, getting all our testing done, it was- it was kind of hard doing it, you know, on my own…So I'm very thankful that they did educate us, but it was draining. It was draining to, you know, travel so much. It was like, probably four or five times a month that we'd have to go up there and see her doctors, get her dialysis, and then do those classes, and then get a hotel, and then travel back the next day. It was- it was a long process. And it was very, very hard and emotional…The only thing that really I feel- I wish was improved, like I said, my daughter's kidneys were failing. And they said, if we can get our kidney transplant date soon, she would never have to have gotten dialysis. But because my testing process took so long, she did have to do seven months of dialysis. And I wish that wouldn't have happened. And it's just- it’s just trying to get in to those appointments. I mean, if I was already cleared and they said, yes, you are a match, I feel like that should be rush priority. Okay, so the next day or sometime this week, let's get you in and get all your testing done in one day. Get everything knocked out, so we can get this done as soon as possible. But that wasn't the case. I know my mammogram took a long time from the time they told me that I was a match for my daughter. It was probably two and a half months before I could get scheduled for a mammogram.

I have a really strong, supportive church family. As a matter of fact, when we went in to do this transplant, because it was going to cost so much, you know, for our traveling, for my daughter not being able to work, I was not able to work, to all the doctor visits. We were both out of work. My husband was the only one working. So our church family actually did fundraisers. And they're the ones that made it possible for us to stay as long as we did, and stay comfortable like we did. So they did fundraisers. They paid for our-our, food, our hotel, the house that we stayed in. It wasn't a lot of money that they charged us for that, but it was a little bit. Everything was paid for. And my church completely supported us in that.

Oh, gosh. Do it. Just do it…I never knew any of this world. I never knew anything about this. And if I would have not had a sick daughter, and I would have heard somebody's story, like mine, somebody that needed a kidney and they didn't have any options, I would have donated my kidney to a stranger. I mean, it's just the best feeling…I mean, it's just a simple little surgery. You're down for a couple of weeks, and somebody else gets to live. And they don't have to live tied to machines, sucking their blood out, and just sitting there. If you've ever been to a dialysis place or seen a dialysis patient, it would make you want to give your kidney right then and there. And that's what made me do it.