Today was conference call day at Mayo Clinic, and I tried as hard as I could to not call them and give them a chance to call me, but I just couldn't do it! Of course I got my coordinator's voicemail when I called, but this time she actually called me back about 30 minutes later. When she called, she had just finished with their conference call, and she had some very exciting news for me.
I HAVE A RECIPIENT!!! AND I'M KICKING OFF AN 8 PERSON DONOR CHAIN!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!
Words can not describe how excited I am right now!!
So here's what I know so far. I have one last blood test to do to make sure everything is 100% good between me and the recipient, but it's all looking great. All I know about them is that it's a younger male, and he's in the MN area. I'll be getting a blood test kit in the mail, which I will take to the Mayo Clinic here in Jacksonville to be completed and then they'll mail it to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. After they receive it, it should take about a week before they get all the results back and can confirm 100% that we are a match. Then we'll schedule a surgery date. She asked me if 10 days notice is enough time for me. Um, 10 days?!? This is why I say $h!t just got real! I need enough time for my family to make travel plans, and to get things squared away at work, so 10 days might be pushing it, but we'll see how it all plays out once I get the green light that everything is good to go.
As if that wasn't great enough news, I'm also kicking off an 8 person chain! As of right now they have 4 recipients (including mine) lined up and ready to go, so my donation will be kicking things off and making this all possible. They are hoping to be able to add more to it, but I would say 8 people is a pretty solid start! Wow, just wow! I can't even explain what I'm feeling right now. It's an incredible feeling to know that I'm going to be a part of this life changing event for so many people and their families. Wow!
I'm sure the next couple of weeks are going to be a whirlwind, but I'll be sure to keep everyone updated, so keep an eye out!
I also wanted to briefly mention a Go Fund Me campaign I started. After much thought, I decided it was worth a try. The purpose is to hopefully raise some money to help out my parents with their travel expenses, especially considering their plans are probably going to need to be made without much notice. If you'd like more information or would like to donate, please click here.
Thank you all for all the support you've shown me over the last several months, and for taking the time to follow my journey. This whole experience has been amazing, and it's so exciting to have everything finally coming together!
