On this day nine years ago, my hero wife gave her kidney to our son. Sawyer was super blessed to receive Karen's kidney because her kidney has thrived inside of Sawyer. We never take one lab report for granted and the labs have always come back showing the kidney is doing what it's supposed to be doing. Thank you Lord!
Yesterday
we visited some of our CHKD family who have been walking this out with us from
the beginning. We are pictured here with
Nurse Ruth (left) and Nurse Melissa
(right). God used the precious people at
CHKD and specifically these two women to intervene for Sawyer's life and welfare.
We praise God for them often and will never forget all they have done and continue
to do.
I
wish all of Sawyer's tests and labs were normal, but he has a genetic disorder
that continues to plague his body. His
genetic syndrome impacts almost every one of his cells. His toughest challenge right now is
progressive vision loss. Sawyer is legally blind. He has severe
myopia, night blindness and his peripheral vision continues to fade away. It's like tunnel vision with the opening at the
end of the tunnel shrinking.
Unfortunately, it appears the shrinking is picking up its pace causing
Sawyer to trip over and run into things.
It's becoming more common to hear
glass breaking as he knocks over one object while reaching for another or he
smashes the object in his hand into something else.
There is no therapy or cure for Sawyer's eye condition. We
have been seeking out resources to help him. Virginia's Department for the
Blind and Vision Impaired has been a true blessing, especially Ms. Valery. There are gadgets and programs that are a
huge help. We are exploring it all now.
Also,
we have been working on getting Sawyer a companion dog. Although we anticipate the dog helping Sawyer
as he navigates, this pup is not meant to be a guide dog. This dog is meant to be another good friend
to Sawyer and help absorb some of the emotional toll Sawyer takes on through
all of his challenges.
Golden
Retrievers are one of the best breeds for a companion dog. COVID made the search long and challenging.
However, after searching for a year, we were introduced to Momma Dog Ruth. A beautiful golden retriever with the perfect
temperament.
Today
is Kidney Day as we celebrate nine years since transplant. We also refer to it as New Life Day. Well, today has a little extra new life to it
as Momma Ruth gave birth to her six pups early this morning!
