Kidney Transplant Number Two
I have a personal life update to share with all of you, and it's an important one. I'm not one to share too much of my personal life outside of storm chasing and documenting the weather, but if you have been following me for some time, you know a little of my health history.
Many of you may have noticed my absence over the summer of 2023 and the storm-chasing season. It's been for a good reason, and I'll share what's been up the last four months.
Quick Flashback: In April 2009, I received a life-saving kidney transplant from a deceased donor on Easter Sunday. The person who lost their life that day saved mine, and I have been forever grateful to them. Unfortunately, I'll never know their name.
Fast Forward and a short summary: Over the last 13 years since my transplant, I've become a father and a husband and have experienced and covered some historical weather events. All because of my donor and being healthy again. Life treated me well.
Sadly, the kidney I received over a decade ago has been slowly losing function for the last year, which can be expected with deceased organ donors. After chasing Hurricane Ian the previous summer, my health worsened, and I knew I would need another kidney transplant within a year. This news began the new journey I'm about to share.
In March 2023, my wife Sara stepped up quickly without hesitation and was screened for blood type and tissue crossmatching. We waited and waited, but finally, we had the news. Sara was a match!
Sara had the same blood type and crossed match with me, and the transplant was a go! This was when we began our months of rigorous pre-transplant testing at the outstanding Miami Transplant Institute (MTI), where I received my first successful transplant. We were both cleared for surgery after all the testing results were returned and given the big date by the kidney transplant team.
Our big day is Tuesday, September 19, 2023. My fantastic wife, Sara Gammons, is about to save my life!
There is so much I want to share, and I'll be posting stories here on Instagram and my blog over the next few weeks leading up to surgery and during the recovery phase.
My Instagram community has been with me since 2011 and has been a significant supporter after my first transplant, and no doubt will be around for the second one. Thank you.
Chat soon - Jeff Gammons. StormVisuals
