Family and friends as you all know I have recently received a Kidney transplant from a deceased donor, male 36 yrs old. My story with kidney disease begins long before this, all the way back to 2003. It was the beginning of my 7th grade year at Faubion Middle School. I had just recently moved to Mckinney the second semester the year earlier. It was scary living in a new town and I was kinda of a shy kid. I know now that most of my shyness was due to my disease and feeling awful everyday. I would get these horrible migraines to the point where I would feel dizzy, nauseous and then throw up. I vomited on the bus, in the cafeteria, the hallway and several times in the nurses office. I had no energy and would just keep to myself most days at school. I literally use to believe it was because we moved to Mckinney since that’s when my symptoms all started lol. My mother then started taking me to several different pediatricians that year all of which never checked my blood pressure. They did however prescribe me medicine for the migraines I was experiencing. But that didn’t help at all and finally the last pediatrician I went to suggested that I go see a neurologist (head specialist), so I did. It was there that the doctor performed a simple test and checked my blood pressure. At first the doctor was even in shock and checked it several different times with different bp arm cuffs. I was so young I didn’t understand what was really going on. The doctor then pulled my mother aside and told her she needed to immediately take me to the nearest hospital at once. The day was October 31st, Halloween. When I arrived at Medical city Dallas I remember feeling confused I didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation I was in. I just thought that all I needed was some medicine to bring my blood pressure down then I could go home. Little did I know that this was the beginning of a very scary and confusing chapter in my life. By this time, I had been experiencing renal failure for the past year or so and didnt know it, my Kidney function was at less than 15%, considered complete renal failure. The doctors were in shock, my parents were in shock, I was in shock I didn’t understand, how did this happen? The doctors couldn’t give us a definitive answer, but said it was most likely caused by an infection, strep that went undetected and settled into my Kidneys destroying them. They placed me on paretoneil dialysis. I spent 4 months in the hospital. And when I got out I spent another year on dialysis before I was transplanted the following year, November 2004. My transplanted Kidney lasted about 8 1/2 years. It might have lasted longer if I would have made better choices, but I was young and naive and just wanted to fit in with all the other kids my age. And fitting in involved drinking. It wasn’t until my 21 first birthday that my kidney went into rejection completely, and I was then placed back on dialysis , hemo dialysis this time. It was only then did I realize the severity of the consequences of the bad choices I had made. I came crashing down and finally hit rock bottom and hard! I spent 5 years on dialysis. There were several times I remember thinking I wasn’t going to make it, death seemed to always be lurking around every corner. Finally my prayers were answered and on June 25th, 2016 was the day I received my transplant and a day I will never forget. Going through this whole experience I finally found myself, it has forever changed me, I am a more kind, compassionate, understanding, humble, loving human being. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be the women I am today if I hadn’t experienced everything I went through. There were times I doubted God, but even when I had no faith he never gave up on me. He knew I would weather the storm and come out on the other side a stronger person for it. I feel as if I’m destined for something great idk what that is exactly yet, but I will continue my search until I find it. Thank you to everyone who believes in me. Friend and family alike I love you all. 🙂

Megan has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.