Like every other young boy Bobby enjoyed life and having fun. He was always the life of the party. He had a smile that would light up a stadium. But Bobby also had a deep desire to help others; to give back.
Bobby had seen people caught in the maze of the criminal justice system and he wanted to help. He wanted to help others to navigate the maze. His dream took a turn and he hit a few bumps in the road as he began to have a lot of health problems but nothing worth having is ever easy so he pushed through, worked a little harder, took a little longer but with eager determination, he finally earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Bobby was genetically predisposed to extreme hypertension and at age 18 he was diagnosed with blood pressure so high it had already begun to damage his kidneys. In 2013 he was told he would have to go on Dialysis. He had a catheter placed and began peritoneal dialysis. He was able to do it at home but it meant being hooked up to a machine for eight hours a day, seven days a week. That doesn’t leave much time for living life. His hopes, plans and dreams were put on hold as medical procedures, tests, medication and doctor’s visits took priority. Infections began to be an issue so eventually he had to switch to hemodialysis which was more invasive and more draining and required driving to the dialysis clinic three days a week. Dialysis left him weak and drained with little time or energy for living the life he’d always dreamed of.
After four years of dialysis he was diagnosed with malignant tumors on both kidneys and in early 2018 had to have both kidneys removed. With no kidneys, dialysis treatments are more straining on the body by doing its job of removing toxins and fluids.
Besides the obvious problems with transportation, traffic issues, time constraints, isolation and fatigue that accompanies dialysis treatments - dialysis patients cannot drink more than 32 ounces of fluid a day as additional fluids make the treatments more difficult on the body so dehydration is a chronic problem resulting in loss of vital electrolytes, vitamins and minerals. And there are many foods that cannot be digested by dialysis patients so even having a slice of pizza, something we all take for granted, is forbidden for Bobby.
Bobby and his mom are such an inspiration to me. With all that he endures, he always, always has that beautiful smile on his face and such a hopeful, positive outlook.
I’ve asked: “What keeps you going and how do you keep your spirits up?”
“My faith kept me grounded and knowing God has a plan for me.”
“And what are the first things you want to do when you get a kidney?”
“When I get my freedom from dialysis I want to travel and see the world and eat some pizza and a donut!”
Everyone cannot give a kidney but everyone can help in some way. Please connect with Bobby here to help alleviate his isolation. Send him prayers, bible verses and words of encouragement. Email the link to Bobby’s Caringbridge site to everyone you will; send it to your friends, family and church members; post the link to your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Ask that people in your church do the same. Via Social Media and word of mouth we can reach a million people in a month. The more people we reach, the better the chance of Bobby getting a kidney. If you feel lead, you can give a financial donation – Bobby’s GoFundMe link is listed on the “Help” page and everyone can pray specifically for Bobby to get a kidney soon. There are over 90,000 people on the transplant list waiting for a kidney. His best chance is a live donor. You do not have to be a match. Information on how this works can be found through United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS.Org) link can be found under resources on the “Help” page as well. Thank you for visiting. God Bless You.
Last Night when I arrived to Emory Dialysis for my first treatment of the week my life would change forever. As I'm sitting down a call comes through from Decatur so I answer. It's Emory off Clifton Road saying they have a KIDNEY for me and I needed to get to hospital by 8:15 pm for surgery Monday morning between 7 am and 8 am. The case worker had to ask several questions to complete the interview process while my mind is all over the place. I felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz!! I was getting myself ready and the case worker had to double check my blood work with the doctor before moving forward!! After moments of waiting my heart sank!! My body would REJECT the kidney so it wasn't a match for me! Good News is I know there is a KIDNEY out there for me just NOT at this time. One of the Dialysis nurses said in the past when a patient got a call and it didn't work out for a transplant, in the near future that same patient received their transplant. #GodsPlan #Prayers #AlltheSupportIcanget #Positivethoughts
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