Page 32 - More than a match

The Emotional Impact

from it. Waiting and praying became her daily routine. My brother was
tremendous, he was concerned about my well-being during the tests and

very appreciative of the sacrifices I was making for him. Many times he
would express his love without words, and would have followed me to
every appointment if I had allowed him. It’s very important to have friends,
family, or members of your faith group who you can turn to for support,
as you will definitely need it.
After two weeks, I went back at the hospital to repeat my GFR test. It was
a very different experience this time around and I was slightly nervous, but
the radiologist told me not to worry as many people repeated the test. The
test results would be back in five days. The wait consumed my every waking

moment because I knew the importance of repeating it; my measurement
needed to go up to 77mls per minute for me to help my brother. As a Christian,
my faith played an important part in my decision to donate; I prayed, searching
for answers, but knew ultimately that God had the final say.
When the call finally came, my nurse was pleased to tell me the
results had come back and my GFR measurement was above 77mls
per minute, so I was free to continue with my assessment. She said

she would go ahead and book the cystoscopy procedure. I called
my brother immediately to give him the good news. He was pleased
and I was relieved. I realised there were many hurdles to face as a
donor, and at each hurdle I was challenged either by further tests
or feeling emotionally low. On other occasions, my faith was tested
or I felt the anticipation of waiting for the test results to come
back. Whatever the hurdle I faced, I did not mind as I knew it was
taking me closer to the end of the assessment process and hopefully
a transplant for Tayo.

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