Every Journey Starts with a Single Step

I was at the Portland Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in June with my daughter and my parents. They were all dressed in their Scandi attire - my parents in their Swedish costumes representing Varmland and my daughter in her Norwegian bunad. I was hot in my denim Capri's and t-shirt.

As the sweet smell of Krumkake wafted across the celebration my father leaned over to me and asked when I was planning to write the story of my relationship with my best friend Anna. I don't know if it was the sentimental feeling of celebrating my ancestral heritage or if it was the fact that Anna and I are hoping to change the foundation of our friendship, but something about my father's suggestion spurred me to writing this blog.

Anna is my best friend. We are linked by decades of friendship and hopefully soon will be linked by an organ donation as well. Anna was diagnosed with Lupus nephritis about eight years ago, although we are certain she suffered from this disease well before diagnosis.

This past February her kidneys shut down. For months our entire goal was to get Anna healthy enough to leave the hospital. She is now on dialysis three days a week and she is surviving. Personally, I wouldn't say she is living life right now - she is surviving life. And I am going to do everything I can to help her live again. Hopefully the first step to getting her healthy again is to donate one of my kidneys.