In this blog I want to honor Jan, my friend and my kidney's momma/sister.
Jan and I met in church and attended the same bible study for about 10 years. We had a close knit group of ladies and spent many hours together and prayed fervently for each others needs.
In 2017, I was diagnosed with 4th stage kidney disease and was informed that I would need a kidney transplant.
What a shock that was!
The doctor told me to call my family members and tell everyone I know that I need a kidney donor. The thought of someone giving me their kidney made me sick to my stomach. I enjoy giving to others more than receiving, but I don’t think I would ever want to give a kidney away and never would I ask anyone to go through major surgery for me. So our bible study group prayed with me for a miracle. I asked God to heal me so noone would have to suffer or die on my behalf.
When I shared this info with my bible study group that I needed a kidney, Jan said she heard God say, “You can do this!” She looked around the room and heard Him say again, “You can do this!” Then she thought; I wonder what qualifies someone to be a donor, blood type? She wasn’t sure what type she was but O+ kept flashing in her mind. She just knew in her heart that I was going to say that I was O + when she reluctanly asked the question. "What does one have do to be to a donor?” I answered matching blood type and I’m O+. I never knew about Jan’s message from the Lord until the night before the transplant in the hotel in Miami.
We prayed for about a year and a half for a miracle that there would be no need of a transplant. Jan thoroughly agreed with me in prayer and even said maybe, God is just testing my obedience, like Abraham when he was told to sacrifice his son. She was hoping that was the case. Jan and I were probed, stuck and studied inside and out to determine if we were a match. I’m sure you guessed; we were a perfect match.
I began to pray, Lord, if I am supposed to proceed with this surgery then let me know, give me a sign. My lab values had been fairly stable in an unhealthy sort of way, throughout that year but became increasingly worse and my skin tone was changing into that sickly grey color; which I didn”t even realize. So I told my doctor I was ready for the surgery.
On February 4, 2019 we both were admitted to Jackson memorial hospital in Miami. i had asked Jan many times over during the year, “Are you sure you want to do this?" Her answer was always a definite “Yes.” That morning she was still confident that she had made the right decision and I was so thankful and blessed. I too was confident and had no fear because, this was God’s plan not Jan’s.
Both surgeries were successful, thank God! The doctors that visited me for the next two days were so totally blown away with how low my creatinine and BUN were. The first group of doctors that came in my room for morning rounds, asked in an excited tone , “Do you know how low your labs are?” I replied “No” so they proceeded to tell me. We were all stunned at the values. God’s plan was carried out to completion and to perfection as His plans always are .
We are coming up on our 3rd anniversary as kidney sisters. We both have done well and we both have an amazing testimony to share. It is one of many of my God stories I enoy sharing.
I want to thank Jan again publicly for laying down her life and donating her kidney for me.
There are many truths about God in our story. I was going to list them but meditate on what you know about God and His word and discover how He “Showed out” on my behalf.
And remember, if He did it for me He can do it for you too.
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