We are honored to share the following letter received by our Atlanta chapter’s first bride – whose husband Cliff was suffering from end stage renal failure at the time their wedding wish was granted.We just LOVE to hear about happy endings like the following beautiful story.
Good Morning Family and Friends ,
I am so blessed and beyond excited to tell you what has happened yet again! As you may or may not know, God is oh so good. Nevertheless, I wanted to give you an update on Cliff’s health and share a quick testimony with you.
As you may know, Cliff was diagnosed with high blood pressure at the age of 17. Since his diagnosis in 2005, he has had some serious challenges with his health which led to dialysis in 2007. Currently, Cliff attends dialysis three times a week for about three and half hours each session.
Since his diagnosis, Cliff has stayed prayerful and positive that perhaps one day he would be blessed with the healing power of God to turn his situation around.
In August of this year, Cliff had the opportunity to join me on a business trip to Las Vegas. While he had never visited the city of Las Vegas before, he was eagerly as excited as I was. According to Cliff traveling is a “luxury”. With his dialysis schedule, traveling is often times very difficult. Scheduling dialysis in other cities and states can be a very lengthy and nerve wrecking process. With that in mind, he questioned whether or not he should come along for a trip to Las Vegas or stay home in Atlanta. As usual, I convinced him to come along to relax and enjoy himself. I had previously flew four days prior with my colleagues to start preparing for our event, and Cliff had planned to join me a few days later.
One Thursday evening, while Cliff was sitting on the plane on the way to Las Vegas he happened to be sitting next to a woman; her name was Shaun, who was friendly and talkative. As the story goes, they shared life stories about their families, friends and why of course they were going to Las Vegas. Nevertheless, one of the questions she asked Cliff was, “Why are you in sweat pants, you are going to Vegas, you should be dressed up! Right, I mean it’s Las Vegas?” He replied, “I’m in these sweats because I just completed my dialysis treatment.” Her face immediately turned to a look of worry and discomfort. As the plane ride continued, Cliff found himself drifting in and out of sleep. During that moment, Shaun heard a voice loud and clear that said, “Give him your kidney!” She explained it to be a very strong and powerful voice that came out of nowhere.
Cliff and Shaun both arrived in Las Vegas safely, and exchange numbers so that I could meet her before we returned home. Before the week was over, Shaun and I met at an event, but very briefly due to the hectic work schedule I had. As the week ended, Cliff and I flew back home to Atlanta and prepared for yet another week of work.
Two weeks had passed, then one day Cliff received a call from Shaun. During that call, she expressed to Cliff that she wanted to give him her kidney. As anyone would be, Cliff was in a state of shock asking her over and over “really? Are you serious? Know like for real, are you sure?” She immediately began her testing at Emory hospital the following week. Kidney transplants tend to be a very long process when testing for a match. It could take up to six months to complete the appropriate testing or longer. Testing your blood, tissue, blood pressure, you name it and they test it.
On Wednesday, December 7, 2011, Cliff was on his way to a doctor’s appointment. While at the doctor’s office, he received a phone call from Shaun, stating her kidney was a match!
Cliff will be preparing for his kidney transplant in just a few weeks. He has not received a definitive date yet, but he has been told it will take place before February 2012. Shaun will be completing her last round of testing and then he will be cleared for surgery.
Yet again, God is an awesome God! He has blessed the Trowers Family beyond what we could ever ask for! Cliff and I have both taken this as another lesson in our book of testimonies; you never know when you may be sitting next to an angel.
Sincerely,
Deven Trowers, Atlanta Wish Upon a Wedding Bride
Categories: Blog, Love Stories
