Alexis comes through with birthday gift for all time

Life went on. Regina was able to work from home several days a week. Travel was an issue, lugging a machine and heavy bags of medicine. Daily life had to be planned around a nine-hour hookup to that life-saving machine.

There were a couple of close transplant opportunities, including one with Regina’s twin brother, but they never worked out. There was some discouragement with having to move down the transplant list at times. The estimated wait for a transplant had dragged on well beyond the 3-to-5-year estimate.

Finally, Alexis had enough. Without telling anyone, she went to the hospital at Vanderbilt University and had tests to see if she was a match to donate a kidney to her mother. Word came that she would be a good candidate. When the news came, Alexis was visiting her mother. She stepped outside to take the call, something Regina found odd. She returned with camera in hand to film the pronouncement.

“When she told me I had mixed emotions,” Regina said. “I was happy, ecstatic, surprised but then a little hesitant. It was my daughter and, of course, I didn’t want her to go through any pain.”

Alexis admits the announcement didn’t go quite as planned due to her mother’s hesitation. Who can blame a mother?

More tests were needed. When they came back, it was deemed that Alexis was an excellent match. This was really going to happen.