A true inspiration

I have woken up this morning to the most wonderful news. My brother in law Matt has just been given a kidney and panaceas transplant.

It is not every day that you meet someone that stands out as truly inspirational.
I often encounter folk who have done amazing things but usually those are one offs like training for marathons, helping someone in a crisis etc. Occasionally you meet someone who really stands out as being truly inspirational. Someone who endures feats like no other for months (often years) on end with little or no complaint.
Matt is certainly one of those people.

Having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three, Matt has had to endure years of insulin injections and hypos when he hasn't quite got things right. But through all this he has still lived life to it's full and to someone meeting Matt for the first time, you would never know what suffering he endured on a daily basis.

Finally, yesterday morning, Matt received the call he has been waiting about eighteen months for. (Not one suitable donor, but two :-)). After nine previous calls which turned out to be 'unsuitable' his opportunity for a better life has finally arrived.
Of course receiving a donated organ does mean that someone else has had to die and usually that person was a fit and well individual prior to their death. It's a difficult situation to be in; wanting a donor to come along but at the same time not wanting to think of someone else having to lose a loved one. Life is unpredictable and tragic situations do occur meaning that people do die before their time. What is lovely about donating an organ is that part of your loved one is able to live on and help support the life of another.

For Matt the waiting game has been long and arduous. In many ways he was fortunate, he didn't get to the point where he was on dialysis prior to his operation. He was however in a constant state of tiredness and of feeling unwell (none of these stopped him from throwing my children around in play :-)).
How amazing are medical advances?

The road to recovery will be long but having the donated organs (if they work) should mean a new found quality of life for Matt and my sister Emma.

Sending out love and positive healing thoughts, and eternally grateful thoughts of thanks for the medical team that enabled this life giving miracle to take place :-) :-) :-)

Are you on the donor list?????

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