[Stephen]

So today is my 1 year transplant anniversary. I still can't believe its been a whole year already. Getting that phone call early in the morning and racing to the hospital still feels like only a couple of months ago.

It's sad that someone lost a loved one, however receiving the gift of life from a total stranger is the greatest and most special gift anyone can ever get. Organ donors really are the biggest heroes.

From living day to day with dialysis every night and being an insulin dependant diabetic, to looking forward to the future and no longer having to think about diabetes thanks to the kidney and pancreas I was so fortunate to be gifted.

Both organs doing great and I feel on top of the world, having my health back. Yes I had a number of complications involving more surgeries and hospital visits but in the grand scheme of things they were nothing more than small bumps in the road.