Ninth Transplant Anniversary

Dear Anthony,

Tomorrow is your ninth transplant anniversary.  Somehow this time seems to sneak up on me until BOOM! here it is!  You'd think that there being only 110 days between your birthday and anniversary, this wouldn't take me by surprise.

Yep, you were 110 days old.  That's three months and 8 days.  Approximately 2600 hours.  Tomorrow, it will have been 3,287 days since your transplant.  That's 108 months.  Approximately 78,800 hours.  Nine years with a renewed chance at life.

And, Anthony, do you ever LIVE life.  School, swimming, Cub Scouts, hanging out with your family and friends...you don't let a moment pass you by.

I never thought, in my biggest dreams for you, that you could go from a baby who couldn't even lift his arms to a kid who swims four days a week, an hour-and-a-half each time.

To see you go from this:

To this:

That is a dream come true to me.

This afternoon we leave to go camping for the weekend with the Cub Scouts.  We'll spend the whole weekend outdoors, enjoying life.  And that reminds of what the team of doctors and nurses told me and Daddy when they did your transplant, "We transplant these kids so they can have a chance at living a NORMAL life.  So let him be NORMAL."  And I think we've done a good job of it.  Living life is what you do best, and I can't wait to see you keep doing it.

I love you so much.  We are so lucky to have you in our lives; and we are so lucky that the amazing team at Nebraska Medical Center were able to do what they did: take a piece of Daddy's liver and give it to you.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate NINE years of health with you than outside on a gorgeous weekend.

Love,

Mama