So what big plans do you have this summer?  Mountains?  Beach?  Back yard?  Sounds restful.

While we're all kicking back, my friend Laura made plans of her own this summer.  She is married to my friend Joe, who is a Teach For America instructor in inner city St. Louis.

Two years ago, Laura read an article in The New York Times Magazine about a woman who needed a kidney and the woman's desperate journey to find one.  Laura felt she was on a journey, too, but wasn't sure where it was taking her.  After all, she is a wife and mother of three young kids, one of them with his own significant medical needs.

In the article, the donor who would eventually save the woman's life said, "I have a very instrumental view of my body, so when you need a part, I am happy to give it."  At that moment, Laura's own journey started to have purpose.  This was exactly the way she felt about her body.  All of a sudden, she saw an opportunity, a way she could have a direct and positive effect on the health of someone else in a concrete, tangible way.  It made perfect sense to her.

Remarkably, she knew someone who needed a kidney.  Pete is her big brother's friend from Los Angeles.  Both of his kidneys failed in 2003 and he has been on dialysis ever since.  He lost his job (and his health insurance) at ABC Studios, couldn't travel and couldn't lead a normal life.  His daily 16-hour dialysis treatments were only a Band-Aid, and couldn't last forever.

Later, Laura learned she and Pete have the same blood type, one of the key conditions to become a compatible donor.  But the timing wasn't right.  Her son still had a tracheotomy and required much of his parents' attention.  Joe and Laura were thinking about having another baby.  And truthfully, Joe was not on board with any of it.  Who could blame him?

Time passed, and Laura never mentioned her desire to be a donor to Pete.  Instead, she focused on other ways to use her body as an instrument for furthering the health of others.  She gave blood and spent an afternoon taking the steps needed to get on the bone morrow registry.  Both of these actions helped fill her desire to help others.

But her dream never died.  And Pete was still waiting for a kidney.  Earlier this year, Joe finally consented to Laura's "Big Plan," and that's why she recently found herself at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.  It is there she underwent final compatibility tests and where transplant surgery was scheduled for this past Tuesday.  Of course, she realized things could go wrong.  She wrote on her blog, "There is always a chance of the unexpected happening.  But is it fair to live in fear of what might happen?  What if my other kidney fails someday?  What if one of my own children needs a kidney?  What if something happens during surgery?  What if I have a child born with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia [surgery in July will reveal whether their son has this condition]? What if my family has to relocate to a new city?  What if?...What if?...What if?  All I know is today.  Today Pete is very sick.  Today Pete needs help.  Today I can help Pete by sharing one of my kidneys."

While we've been swimming and reading, that's what Laura did during her summer vacation.  Today, both she and Pete are recovering well from their seven-hour surgery.  The road back, ironically, is much tougher for the donor, but I have a feeling Laura will surprise all of us with her resilience.

 

Our new program of adult Christian Education will be off to a strong start this September.  Wednesday evening classes already scheduled include:

Later in the year we'll offer:

Other topics now being worked on include faith and literature and the Christian funeral.  Are there topics you'd like to pursue?  Are there teachers you'd like to study with?   Send your suggestions to Mary Edith Walker (mwalkerfpc@bellsouth.net) or leave them in her box in the church office.