The Gift of Life
written by: Dawn DeBraal
Jeff Payne was a quiet man. He said little but always went out of his way to help her. Laura Mays had the good fortune of living next door to a great person. Their friendship grew, and they exchanged dinners at one another’s homes, one trying to outdo the other with fancy recipes. Even their dogs got along.
The man was trying to work up the courage to ask Laura into a relationship with him but hadn’t gotten there yet. They had such a great rapport; why would he risk wrecking a good thing like that by asking her to be his one and only? Things were perfect now.
Was he the only one who felt this deeply toward his neighbor in their relationship? To ask was risking everything he enjoyed with her. Once he crossed over that line, it couldn’t be taken back. He watched out his window when Laura went out on a date and was still there when she came home safely. She would think him odd if she knew what he did behind the scenes to make sure she was safe. He loved her. There, he’d said it out loud.
“Wine?” Jeff picked up her glass to pour.
“No thanks, I can’t drink it anymore.” Jeff’s eyes went up in surprise. “I have this kidney thing. I’ve had it since I was a child, but recently, it’s reared its ugly head. I may have to go on dialysis.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What can I do?”
“My diet is going to have to change. So, our dinners are going to have to be less extravagant.”
“I can do that. Like roasted veggies and healthy stuff?”
“Yes, I can give you a copy of the information.” Laura sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. It is what it is.”
“I might have to go on dialysis,” Laura stifled the sob. She was pitying herself. She shouldn’t have been surprised her father died of the same condition.
“Look, I’m here, and I will help you in whatever way I can,” Jeff said reassuringly. He put the wine back into the refrigerator, brought out water with lemons in it, and set it down at the table.
“Cheers,” they touched glasses, enjoying their meal, now that the awkward thing she had to tell him had passed, they had comfortably gone back to being their old selves.
As each month passed, Laura continued losing weight and didn’t feel well enough to have dinner. Jeff was worried but helped her in any way that he could.
When Laura answered the door that evening, Jeff noticed her clothes looked like they were hanging on a hanger. He came in, acting like nothing had changed with her, but he could feel his heart in his throat.
“I’ve made soup and sandwiches, nothing special. I don’t have it in me.” Laura told him.
“You should have called; I would have brought something over. Don’t tax yourself.” Jeff cautioned.
Laura burst into tears. “I’ve been placed on a transplant list.” Jeff pulled her in for a hug.
“It will be alright,” he reassured her. Jeff left early because she was falling asleep on him. The following morning, he called her doctor, leaving a message, hoping he could help somehow.
After testing, Jeff’s kidney was not a match for Laura. He felt terrible and didn’t even bring it up. As the weeks dragged on, Laura hung by a thread. She needed a kidney. When the call came early in the month, she was elated to let Jeff know they’d found a donor.
“By Christmas, I will have a new kidney,” she said excitedly.
“That’s fantastic!” Jeff smiled. As Christmas day drew near, he had to tell Laura he’d been called out of town on business.
“I’m sorry I won’t be here to help you through the surgery.” Laura was very quiet, but she understood. Jeff needed to go where his work took him.
“I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, I promise.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be out of it, and my mom or sister will always be with me. I wonder who the donor is. They said it was a live donor, so it’s not someone who died in a car crash. What kind of person do you think would do that?”
“Do what?”
“Give one of their kidneys to a stranger.”
“I don’t know, they must be a very giving soul.”
The day before surgery, Jeff stopped in and gave Laura a hug, wished her good luck, and apologized again: “I’m sorry about not being here for you.”
“I’ll be fine. You need to do this for your job. It’s important.”
“Not as important as you, but if I don’t go, I might as well kiss my promotion goodbye. Promise me you’ll be here when I get back.” She hoped the promise she made tonight would be one she could keep.
“I promise.”
“Here’s your Christmas present, don’t open it until after your surgery.”
When Laura woke after surgery, the doctor told her the kidney appeared to be working and that it was a good match for her. She would now undergo education on the daunting number of medications she needed to take to prevent the rejection of her new kidney. As bad as she felt post-surgery, Laura could barely contain her excitement. She had a future ahead of her thanks to an anonymous donor.
“I would like to send my donor a letter,” she told the nurse when she was awake again.
“We can make that possible. Go ahead and write; I’ll see that it gets sent.”
To the person who donated their kidney to me.
I don’t know who you are, whether you are a man or a woman, young or old, but the gift you gave me was the most precious gift you could give anyone: life.
I was facing dialysis three times a week, five-plus hours a day, chained to a chair with no end in sight, and then, like an angel, you stepped in.
I will take care of your gift of life and remember you always. Thank you, doesn’t seem to be enough. If you would ever like to meet me, I have enclosed my address on the envelope. I would love to thank you in person someday. Merry Christmas.
Sincerely,
Laura Mays
She folded the letter and put it in an envelope, writing her name and address on the outside, before handing it to the nurse.
“Thank you,” Laura told the nice woman.
Looking out the window, she felt safe with her mother sitting next to her and watched the snowfall, lazily drifting in and out of sleep. It was such a special Christmas to be given the gift of life once again.
“Sorry I ruined your Christmas, Mom.”
“You didn’t ruin it, Sweetie. This is the best Christmas, ever. Knowing you will be alright. Now get some rest.”
Her eyes fluttered with the sound of her mother talking to someone. When she focused, Laura was surprised to see Jeff sitting beside her.
“I didn’t think you could be here.” Laura smiled.
“I couldn’t stay away,” Jeff said, taking her hand.
“Jeff, why are you in a wheelchair? Were you in an accident?”
“It’s just precautionary; they want me to take it easy for a few days.” Laura was confused.
“Jeff? Are you alright?”
“Yes, it’s just I’m a little unsteady after surgery today.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I donated a kidney.”
“What?”
“I promised the person who donated a kidney to you that I would donate my kidney to their loved one. You see, I was tested, but I didn’t match. This person was your closest match, but he would only donate to a person who could give his wife a kidney. Turns out, I was a close match for his wife.”
“You gave your kidney away so that I could get a kidney?” Laura asked incredulously.
“Yes, I consider it a great investment.”
“Oh, Jeff, I can’t believe you did that for me.”
“Laura, I have been trying to find a way to tell you I love you. What better way than this?” Tears flowed down her cheeks; Laura reached out to Jeff—an awkward hug, him being in a wheelchair, and her in a hospital bed.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Mrs. Mays quietly stepped out of the room.
“Jeff, I don’t want you to think I feel this way because of what you did. I was trying to find a way to tell you that I love you but didn’t want to ruin our friendship or burden you with my illness.”
“Did you bring your Christmas present?”
“It’s in the drawer.” Jeff opened the stand and pulled out the gift, handing it to Laura, who opened it to find an engagement ring. “Yes,” she exclaimed.
Laura and Jeff celebrated their best Christmas that year. She got the gift of life, and both received the gift of love.
The End
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Kidney paired donation, or KPD, also called kidney exchange, gives a transplant candidate another option. In KPD, living donor kidneys are swapped so each recipient receives a compatible transplant. Please consider being an organ donor.
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