The "A" Team

Dr. Robert Montgomery and his team are incredible. I refer to them as the "A Team" - "A" to me stands for Angel -as they are Angels. This team and facility gave my husband a chance at a better quality of life when other institutions wouldn't.

As a result of this experience, I now have the honor of knowing the other 9 people who were involved in this exchange. Sheila, who received my kidney is now a friend and I understand she is off most meds, feeling well, and able to plant flowers she hasn't been able to for years - even being able to cook her husband dinners again. Our little "exchange club" is a tight little group as we all prayed and pulled for one another through this journey.

It is exciting to receive emails from them and hear how they are progressing. I can't tell I ever had an operation - but then, I was healthy going into this. All of the other donors and doing well I hear, too. The other 4 recipients are all doing well also - don't forget none of us were "teenagers".

That reminds me of a young man I met in Baltimore at an out-patient dialysis center (Jerry came home to the condo I had rented in Baltimore for about a week in January to try to recoup and gain strength he had to go to out-patient dialysis). Someone asked the young how he was doing, he remarked in the waiting room "I would be doing a lot better if someone would give me a kidney". I went over to him and said I would give him one-half of the one I had left as I just donated - but to believe in miracles as they do happen. He smiled. Hope is a precious thing.

If you are still reading, check out some of the articles in the press section - you'll have a better idea of the fabulous people who all worked together to try to help so many!

Sandy