Page 27 - Changing Perceptions

Vera’s story

In 2013 at my sister’s wedding I had the pleasure of meeting Lloyd Daniel
that was my brother in Law best friend. Since then, he became a friend of
the family attending to all families’ events. All my family knew Lloyd but no
one ever thought that his health was going down hill so fast.

One day he asked if it will be okay to step forward and do compatibility
test, so in the future I could possibly be the donor. I didn’t think twice and
I accepted to carry do all the necessary tests. Quite frankly I never heard
about living donation till this situation came to me. My sister, brother in
law and I took all the tests. Both my sister and I came as compatible. But
because health wise I’m very blessed, the doctors decided that I should
be the donor.

It wasn’t an easy decision, my heart and mind were telling me to do it,
but my family and friends were all against. Nobody could understand my
purpose and why I decided to give a life back to somebody. The fact that
we weren’t family related, or a couple or just real good friends, made ev-
eryone think that I shouldn’t do it.

But nothing could stop my decision; I was willing to help somebody to live
better and to have back his hope. And to be honest if I had to see him die
and knowing that I could have saved him and I didn’t, I don’t think that my
life will be very pleasant.

Thanks be to God, everything happened as expected we are both doing
amazingly well, and I’m very proud of what I did.

Being a living donor changes the quality of a person’s life for the better, it
is an act of kindness, generosity, love and compassion that comes from
the heart.
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