Stanford Visit and thank you for your support.....

Please check out the latest photos that I uploaded of Jaclyn and our famous Stanford surgeon, Dr. Concepcion and our new best friend, Gerri James, Transplant Coordinator at LPCH Stanford. We love them both!!

Unfortunately, as you read in my journal from earlier this year, Jaclyn's dad has been finally 100% rejected as a kidney donor. Jaclyn has B Blood type, which is a difficult match. In order to donate an organ to an individual with B blood type, your blood type must be either B or O. My blood type is A and Jaclyn's older sisters are A and A/B....so the three of us were rejected as donors immediately. Jaclyn's dad was our Blood type B donor hope.

Jaclyn's Aunt, who is also a B blood type, has been evaluated as a great kidney match for Jaclyn and is currently having her health evaluated. If a donor is not found by May 2009 then the current antigen restrictions Jaclyn has on the UNOS list (Northern CA Kidney transplant waiting list) will be removed, which will make it easier to receive a cadaver kidney.

I think that our visit to Stanford was once again very necessary and very successful. Jaclyn has such a loving heart and is very tough and brave. I am confident that Jaclyn will get a kidney this summer & return to living her life 110%!

We are very grateful to be done with 2008 (as well as 2007). Life is good, but 2007 and 2008 were wicked. I am confident that 2009 will be a much better year for our family. There are so many people that we are thankful for and have helped us through these turbulent times....the entire staff at LPCH @ Stanford, especially Gerri, the wonderful dialysis nurses at Childrens Hospital in Aurora (Sue, Anna, Laurel and the other wonderful nurses), friends at dialysis, Jaclyn's amazing doctors-especially her PCP, Dr. Ann who has cared for her since birth, Team Jaclyn- Jaclyn's fundraising team, raising awareness and funds for Jaclyn's transplant...especially our leader Lauren :-) , all of Jaclyn's new found friends at CU (CU is amazing!), Angel Ashley who has become Jaclyn's 3rd sister, our families and friends and strangers that have shown us that life is beautiful although this road has been frustrating and painful at times, we never walked it alone.

May everyone have an awesome and healthy 2009! Thank you again for all of your prayers...We never would have made it this far without them!

- Susan