Hello folks. Well after 300 days on this new journey, the time has finally come. Amelia has a new kidney.

That’s right, a kidney was found, and as of this writing it is being put in Amelia.

Here’s what I know so far: We got a call last night that a kidney was available that didn’t have any matching problems and was a really close match to Amelia. They were doing the final blood tests and stuff last night and then they called and said it was a go. we ended up coming to Primary’s late so that they could get Amelia’s covid test and some other labs done and keep her NPO for the surgery.

Everything was on track for this morning and they wheeled her down for the surgery at 1030, and she went into the operating room at 11:10. As of now, we are still waiting and hoping.

For the big questions: No, we do not know the donor, or anything about the donor. We most likely will not. That is ok. All we know is that the donor was a darn good match for Amelia, and we are very thankful for the selfless act of donation.

Next, Amelia will be keeping her old kidney as well as this new transplant. Amelia will have 2 kidneys for the first time in 14 years. Her first kidney was on the right side, near the front of her body. The new kidney will be in the left side and near her back more.

We don’t know for sure how long we will be in the hospital, but the basic idea is this: Surgery is 3-4 hours. Amelia will then go to the ICU for 24 to 48 hours so that they can monitor her for blood pressure and make sure she is recovering from the anesthesia ok. After the ICU, she will be up on the transplant unit on isolation. She will be there for 3-4 days, all depending on how she is recovering. We are looking at 7-10 days overall for this stay.

This is all so much to process, but such a wonderful thing. Amelia got emotional as she was going back to the OR as she finally got all of this stuff at once. This is such a blessing for Amelia and the rest of us. She will be feeling somuch better, and willbe able to go and do things without getting so worn out. We are very grateful to the donor, as well as allof you who are reading this; your prayers and good thoughts have carried us through the past few months that has led us up to this point. Thank you all.

Still coming to you live 299 days into the new kidney journey, and 0 days into the new kidney,

-Justin

*****More will be coming this afternoon******