I am eternally grateful for Ben Diamond, my Donor Hero. I received both of his kidneys. I had been suffering from kidney failure since 2010 due to an autoimmune disease. In 2014, after several attempts for a donor match, doctors found an ideal transplant match in Ben’s kidneys. Since Ben was a 2-year-old it was necessary for me to receive both small kidneys. I dedicate the forget-me-not to Ben and his family. This year I'm ten years transplanted and truly blessed.
His Mom shared that one morning, seemingly out of the blue, 2-year-old Ben woke up sick and started suffering seizures. Ben’s condition worsened and he never recovered, dying of what doctors believe were complications from the flu. His Mom did not hesitate when asked if she would donate Ben’s organs. “She said, ‘This is it. This is his reason to be on earth,’” she recalls. “It was not even a question.” Two years later, Ben's parents and brother met me, Dorothea Duffy, recipient of Ben’s kidneys. We quickly became friends. “In the wake of unimaginable tragedy, life every day is challenging,” said Ben's Mom. “The fact that I can get on the phone with Dorothea and share adventures is a blessing that I cannot even begin to explain.”
