Dealing with a family member’s illness can take a toll on everyone involved. Going through the transplant process is especially exhausting, as it can take years of waiting and put a major strain on day-to-day life and finances. Sometimes, those experiences bring out the best in people and inspire them to give back and do good for others going through the same thing.
The Graves Family
When Juliana comes back to Texas Children’s for her check-ups, she doesn’t mind at all as she thinks of it as her second home. Everyone is so nice and welcoming, and she even got time to visit with therapy dog Pluto, which put a big smile on her face. It wasn’t long ago when Juliana was the youngest heart transplant recipient at Texas Children’s at just 17 days old. Parents Riki and Christopher were elated when they found out they were pregnant, but simultaneously, they were told Riki had breast cancer. They are now both thriving thanks to the strength and courage of the Graves’ family and everyone involved at the Pavilion for Women and the Transplant Services team. Riki changed her career path and now does business development for the Transplant Center at Houston Methodist, has contributed to a book on the subject and is involved with the Texas Children’s family advisory committee. Watch the video or read more about their moving story.
The Gray Family
For all the struggles Abby and Reid Gray have gone through, they had two miracles happen months apart. Reid, who was on the transplant list due to long-term liver issues, was finally matched for a liver. After struggling for years to get pregnant with multiple rounds of IVF, two months later, Abby gave birth to twins six weeks early. The twins spent 19 days in Texas Children’s NICU. Now all family members are happy and healthy, and Abby has found a new passion for helping others coping with a family member’s transplant. Abby wrote a children’s book to honor her husband’s donor who they think of as a super hero. Abby got involved with Life Gift and our NICU’s Little Listeners program, and has taken courses to become a patient and family advocate. Read more about their amazing story.
The Witty Family
Ross donated his kidney to his daughter Kimmy in 2011 for a life-saving transplant. Motivated by their daughter’s wish to get more involved and give back, the Wittys have become part of the circle of care for fellow transplant families. They founded the Children’s Transplant Initiative to ease the burden and help lessen the fears of the transplant process. CTI provides information, services and support to children and their families as they embark on this journey. Their ultimate goal is to open a hospitality service like Ronald McDonald House, and they are well on their way. Today, they operate seven apartments to house out-of-town transplant patient families. They’ve had nearly 50 families come through the apartments, the majority of which are families of patients at Texas Children’s. Read more about their inspiring story and CTI.
These ambassadors were on hand at a recent event on The Auxiliary Bridge for Pediatric Transplant Week to share their stories in hopes to inspire and educate people on how to get involved. Transplant team members also showcased custom made tri-folds for each organ that featured stories of inspiration. LifeGift was on hand to register people for organ donation.
