Help Robby Richardson Catch a Kidney

            

My name is Robby Richardson. I need a kidney. Since 2006, I have been on dialysis, and now I’ve made the decision to begin the transplant process. After much discussion with my family, I’m seeking out a living donor.

            I have explored my options for some time. My reasons for seeking a live donor can best be summed up by this taken directly from the web page of the National Kidney Foundation:

“Living donor kidneys will last on average 12 to 15 years and cadaver kidneys last on average 8 to 10 years at the present time.”

            Currently I live in my hometown of Savannah, Ga with my wife Kim and my two awesome children Roni and Jude. These three wonderful people are often the reason behind most of my smiles. In spite of kidney disease, I still work full time as a teacher at Jenkins High School where I am in inclusion Special Education teaching 10^th and American Lit. Lately, I’ve begun to focus some of my work on helping autistic students integrate into the regular ed setting. Another reason for my smiles--I love teaching.

            My insurance will cover the process, so there should be no out of pocket expenses for you if decide to give me this much appreciated gift. If you are a state employee, you will even receive paid leave in the state of Georgia because they support organ transplants. If you go through the screening process and discover you are not a match, you can still donate your kidney though a paired kidney donation program where you can match with another person and in turn, UNOS will match me another donor, too. 

            You can find more information here:

https://www.augustahealth.org/kidney-and-pancreas-transplant/kidney-and-pancreas-transplant-home-page

            Just click on “Become a living donor.” 

            It’s pretty humbling to sit and type all the reasons why you need to put out to the universe why you need someone to give up one of their organs. Words come pretty naturally to me and frankly, this has been the hardest thing I have ever written. It comes down to this--in spite of living with dialysis (which sucks), I have found the greatest happiness in my life with my wife and kids. I dream of walking my daughter down the aisle one day, watching my son figure whatever amazing thing he’s going to do with his life, and growing old with my wife and spoiling her rotten to repay her with all the support and love she has given me through this.  Dialysis has kept me alive for 12 years, but I am now ready to live and I have three of the most amazing reasons to live for which I have just shared.  

            I can’t offer you money, but I can give you my eternal thanks for making the third act of my life matter. By donating your kidney, you will have helped make a huge difference in my life.  Somehow saying thank you just doesn’t seem to convey my gratitude enough for reading this but sometimes there aren’t enough words so please know I really do appreciate this.

---Robby Richardson  

     March 10, 2018

     Savannah Ga

Why I smile so much...

           

Citations:

https://www.kidney.org/blog/ask-doctor/do-living-donor-kidneys-last-longer-cadaver-kidney-transplant

The Return of the Wookie?

            OK, so I feel fairly comfortable that I can sell a good bit of tees by tapping into all the circles I run within. Pretty sure those guys can help me out but after that it’s done. And I do not want to keep hitting my friends up for help. That’s just rude and flat out annoying.

            Like I said previously, I need to cast a larger net. I’ve had an idea where I might enlist Holiday Wookie. Basically, I am pondering on dressing Wookie up in the nearest holiday, have him say something positive and amusing and see if it catches on. If it doesn’t, no harm done. I had fun and move on to the next big idea I’ll not follow through on.

            If it does though.

            If it does, I can use Holiday Wookie to help me sell shirts. Getting some exposure to the issue and using that for some good and not just for me to maybe spread some awareness of how hard it is to do the whole transplant thing. I don’t know.

I’m making this up as I go …..    

Doubts? Oh, I've Got a Few.

            Anybody who knows me will tell you I am a veritable fountain of ideas but always have a hard time following through. It’s something I have really tried hard to work on over the past few years. So much in fact, that I haven’t even mentioned to anyone I am writing daily as my form of Lent. Frankly, I am worried I’ll stop in about a week or so. (I already missed Fri so I’m trying to make up with three posts today. This is the make up one) But I am really trying to focus and do this. I want to write and discipline is the key. My dozens of short stories, novellas, and graphic novels fighting for my attention on my hard drive are the proof I need to work harder.

            I am working on ideas constantly. It’s looking like we are narrowing it down to getting Luke to do a show out in Fort Worth, something up in YHC, and the tee shirts. I’d  really love to focus here in Savannah but the money just isn’t here. Kim covers dozens of articles weekly in her freelance career regarding fundraisers but they just don’t pull in the type of bucks I’m going to need. Savannah is the epitome of the model for the 1% and I just don’t see that circle helping a teacher/tour-giude  out.

So I got to figure out to get the biggest bang for my buck. One thing I learned from my days as social chairman for my frat was the bigger the net, the larger batch of fishes that come to the party. The American Kidney fund will match me up to twenty thousand dollars so that is my goal. 20 gs. I’d break that down further into the “how many quarters, dimes, and nickels but I suck at math.

Twenty thousand is nearly half my yearly pay and for some reason I honestly have this notion that I’ve got this. It’s comparable to the sword and the stone and I am the young Arthur. It’s overwhelming. It’s daunting and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that I can do this. Others have attempted to pull the proverbial sword form the stone so why do I think I can raise “Excalibur?” I have no idea except for this:

There are a handful of lessons I’ve learned over the years and the biggest is to listen to my inner voice. It’s that little nudging I’ve cultivated from a whisper to a more conversational tone since my younger years. And you know what? My little voice is saying to me in very calm voice, “Robby, you’ve got this.”

I can assure you there is no swagger in any of this like in my Baby Rich college days. That voice is not arrogant and I’ve come to realize it’s not even mine but it’s that of the Big Guy’s trying to reassure me.

Now let me get this straight before we go any further. I do not honestly believe the voice of my long dead father is speaking to me from the Great Beyond. I am not lucky enough to have my Dad be my own personal Obi Wan Kenobi.

I just feel like when my subconscious wants be to take things seriously, it knows to speak to me I the tone of the Big Guy. It never failed to get my attention in the past so why wouldn’t my brain know to use this to drive point home?

The Big Guy taught me and my sister that in order to be successful, you’ve got to have a plan and that involves preparation. It’s the beginning stages but I am prepping like crazy. This week I am meeting with my social worker with a list of questions in hand. I’ve reached out to Harvey who is my friend from NxStage who has been through all this. Harv is working on a list to let me know everything he wished he knew going into this. Timelines are being formulated for me to start setting and meeting goals to get that kidney. And I have a secret weapon:

Kim.

My personal bias on the abilities of my wife knows no bounds but I also am well aware I am married to not only a professional writer but someone who is an expert in public relations, has a background in fundraising from her army wife days, and next to my sister, is the best person in the world who can keep my off-the-wall ideas in check with some sense of reality in mind.

Then I look a little further among my friends and family and it’s insane at the number of talented and resourceful people I’ve got to be able to beg and borrow from. There’s librarians, DJs, nurses, salespeople, artists, musicians, scientists, comedians, teachers, actors, preachers, camp counselors, computer people, and just a general gaggle of amazing people I’ve gotten to know and become friends with over the years.

So when I have these moments, and trust me, they happen several times daily when I begin to sweat how I’m giving up six months of my life to recover. Six months where I can’t draw a paycheck form teaching. Six months where I won’t be able to drive the back and forth from Savannah to Atlanta for weekly doctor checkups at Piedmont. Thirty-six months where afterwards Medicare will no longer pay for the immunity suppressant meds that cost over a grand a month. A swirl of how will I pay for this? How can I support my family? How can keep from being a burden on Kim?

“Stop.” I hear myself say firmly inside of my head. “Take a deep breath. Breathe in, breathe out.”

An overwhelming feeling of peace washes over me and it’s as if I feel that giant hand slowly grasp my shoulder which recognize since childhood and I hear it.

“You’ve got this.”

Damn straight I do. Let’s get a kidney. Who’s with me?