Movement, thanks to organ donation!

 __My life through YOU__ 

Why organs on clouds, on earth you can save lives... 

January 2016 

Hello, dear readers, my name is Theresa, I'm 23 years old and since 2013 I'm joining a relay event every year at the German Post Marathon in Bonn. Thanks to my organ donor I was transplanted after 2 years of hemodialysis in October 2012 in Bonn – I received a combined liver-kidney transplantation. The reason for this was a chronic kidney failure due to a congenital genetic defect, the so-called primary hyperoxaluria (type I). Only half a year after my major surgery, in April 2013, I was at the start of the Bonn Marathon for the first time with my liver/kidney, as a freshly transplanted kidney, so to speak. That was an important moment for me! Only a few months before, directly after the transplantation in the intensive care unit, I was physically too weak to take even one step away from my hospital bed. The long, hard time at the dialysis machine before that also severely restricted my freedom of movement, especially when travelling, and my quality of life. My first run and also the following ones gave and give me again and again a wonderful feeling after so long time, patience and hardship to finally be active in sports again and above all to feel alive and free, to be able to move freely, as well as to have the freedom to travel again without any worries, to enjoy the life that was given to me by my donor. Donating organs is not an easy decision. BUT it is probably the greatest gift that can be given to another person, a symbol of charity in its highest form, which goes beyond death. To preserve and honor this life-saving gift by taking good care of the new organs, taking care of my body and keeping myself fit is the promise I make to my life-saver as a sign to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not everyone can experience such happiness. For many patients, waiting for an organ is a race against death; an endless trembling between hope and hopelessness. Running a marathon for a good cause with the kidney is a race of vitality, of freedom without restrictions. Each race makes me realize how well I am now physically recovered, thanks to my donor, a successful transplantation by a wonderful, professional team of doctors and caretakers, and the care and support of my family. By participating together with the Renniere (www.renniere.de) relay team in such a public event as the marathon, we, transplanted, healthy friends and colleagues and other patients, as a representative unit, in order to draw public attention to precisely this fundamentally important topic of today: organ donation. Through my participation in the run I can achieve exactly that: To show all people the successful course of my organ transplantation, to show that it is worthwhile to become a lifesaver, that it is not in vain, to motivate you to deal with organ donation and to encourage you to do exactly that. Every organ donor is a lifesaver, so why do the organs lie on clouds, because only here on earth can they save PEOPLE'S LIFE! Your Theresa