04/27/2026
This photo is from a day that meant more than most people would ever realize.
My daughter was 8 years old, in kidney failure, and on dialysis. She was too weak to walk the trail through Waterton Canyon, so we pulled her in a wagon. But even in the middle of everything she was facing, she was still smiling… still enjoying being outside… still being a kid.
In February 2019, she went into acute renal failure caused by a rare autoimmune disease called Goodpasture syndrome. Almost overnight, our lives changed. She was placed on dialysis and diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease. We were told she would need a kidney transplant.
What people don’t often see is what happens in between those big moments.
Dialysis keeps you alive, but it takes so much from you. It’s exhausting, time-consuming, and comes with real risks. Even doing peritoneal dialysis at home, which we were grateful for, was overwhelming. I went from having no medical background to managing treatments, medications, injections, vitals, supplies, insurance calls… all while trying to hold it together emotionally.
There’s no guidebook for being a parent in that situation. Just a constant weight of fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion.
The path to transplant is long and complicated. Evaluations, approvals, waiting, more waiting. In Madeleine’s case, we had to wait until her antibody levels were low enough just to begin the process. When the time finally came, I was tested and thankfully approved to be her donor.
After delays due to scheduling and COVID, Madeleine received her transplant on April 27, 2020.
Today, she is doing well, and I will never take that for granted.
But transplant isn’t a “finish line.” It’s a lifelong journey. Medications, labs, appointments, and constant vigilance are part of her reality now. And while she doesn’t like to talk about it, what she went through, and continues to carry, matters.
I share this because there is so much strength behind the scenes of stories like hers. So much that goes unseen.
I’m incredibly grateful I was able to be her donor. My hope is simple: that this kidney gives her the chance to live a long, full, and happy life.
And if you ever find yourself walking a trail and see a child being pulled in a wagon, know that there might be a story of resilience behind that moment.
