Dirty blood, baited breath & asking ...."Does this kidney make me look fat?"

On Monday, a mother of 2 boys tumbled down a bunny slope somewhere in Canada. After her tumble she bounced up & walked back to her room, shooing away any help, probably embarrassed of the tumble. By Monday night just a few hours after her fall, her brain was dead, her body carefully kept alive by beeping machines, pumping her blood & pushing air into her lungs.

This wife,mother of 2 boys, brilliant actress Natasha Richardson was flown into New York to die with family crushing around her. Wednesday she was declared officially dead.

Yesterday a mother died.

Yesterday, my great friend of 19 years received a call..."we found a kidney for you."

Yesterday, hopefully my great friend had a bright, shiny, healthy kidney tucked into her body. A kidney that was donated by someone who just recently died. Someone who was loved, someone who's death crushed the joy out of friends and family. I'd like to think Mrs. Natasha Richardson gave her kidney to my friend. My friend is all drama, flair & kindness. Natasha Richardson's kidney would be quite at home in my friend!

Of course we may never know who gave my friend her new kidney. I doubt it was Natasha Richardson. I don't even know if she was a organ donor. But someone was. I hope that persons family get a sliver of pride & happiness knowing the death of their loved one is not in vain. As rehearsed as it sounds...the truth is...a piece of their loved one lives on in a vibrant, funny, intense, passionate, faithful, friendly, kick-ass women. Someone who will treat their new kidney with kindness. Someone who might even give a pet name to their new little organ. I hate that people have to die, to give others life. But I will be eternally grateful to those who choose organ donation.

I sit here now with baited breath. Waiting to hear how the surgery went. Waiting to hear if the kidney was really put into her. Once, a few years ago, she got "the call". Rushed her into surgery, cut her open & the Dr. mistakenly thought she had cancerous growths on the site & didn't put in the kidney. Yeah...that sucked! But now....right now she might be drugged up with a new kidney. I can only hope & wait.

Hopefully my friend will have a kidney that decides to stay awhile. Then she can ask me (after her body swells to a nice plump from all the steroids she will have to take for the rest of her life) "Does this kidney make my ass look fat?"
Hopefully I can say "It sure does make it look phat! You wear that kidney well my friend."