A warriors dream

Dear friends,

Some of you know my 15 yr old son Jamar has kidney disease and we have been on a life long medical journey. Posterior urethral valves at birth caused my sons kidney disease, it’s something that just happens to ever so many boys inside the mother it’s not genetic at all. This destroyed my sons kidneys before he ever even had a chance at a normal life so he was on dialysis from birth until he was 2.5 years old. By the grace of God he was old enough to receive a deceased donor kidney in 2019. We are forever grateful to Dustin for giving my son the greatest gift of all the gift of life. Jamar survived with that kidney for over 9+ yrs. However, 4 yrs ago it started to give out and we had to go back on dialysis.

Over time his kidney disease progressed and worsened and we needed another transplant. This is what we were faced with for the last 4 years while doing dialysis the entire time and taking over 17 medications a day. BUT GOD… we received a kidney transplant 3 days ago. It was our 39th surgery but one we gladly welcomed. We are forever grateful to our current deceased donor and guardian angel. Jamar is still in the hospital recovering and is excited to start his teenage years finally. Jamar is a warrior, he has not been able to have a normal life since birth. The start of his teenage years were non existent until now. A week prior to surgery my son had an idea that would help kids like him in the future. He wants to start a foundation for kids/teens with kidney disease. This brand would consist of wrist bands, t-shirts, community awareness events ect. During our journey we encountered many infections, complications and surgeries that lead to month long hospital stays at times. My son developed severe depression and anxiety and more medications to help control it. I searched high and low and could not find a platform to help my son cope. We could not find support groups, organizations and or kids like him to lean on and help each other because they understood the journey. There was nothing for his age group. So my son wanted to take his story and create a platform and brand for kids like himself. A safe place where they fit because they have something in common. My warriors dream is to remain healthy, to give back because so many have given to him. Jamar wants to play basketball again, travel, visit friends and family, run track, and swim all things that were taken from him for years due to kidney disease. Transplant gives my son more time to do fun things that he enjoys and to live a more normal quality of life. Jamar will have to take rejection medications for the rest of his life, this fundraiser will help with medical care, bills, and help to make his dream come true of creating and branding an awareness organization and safe place for kids like himself.

Jamars message: is to never give up on yourself, the only way you lose is to quit! Jamar plans to never quit he has a story to tell and plenty of life to live.

From Jamar and I: Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Thank you to our community, our family and friends and anonymous donors. Continue to pray for me as I still have a long journey ahead, God isn’t done with me yet.

Thank you everyone in advanced for helping to bring sunshine into my Sonshines life. Consider being an organ donor and please help to share my sons story with everyone you know.

Thank you

#kidneyforJamar

#Jamarkidneyjourney