Help Melissa in her Kidney Transplant Journey

Hello, my name is Destiny and I am here today to tell you about my amazing mother, Melissa McLain formerly Melissa Peck and her battle, journey, and triumph with kidney failure and a rare blood disorder. In 1998 at the young age of 27 newly engaged and excited about life, my mom, Melissa was diagnosed with kidney failure. At this time our family rallied together and discovered that my aunt, Melanie Matte formerly Melanie Peck was a transplant match. My aunt selflessly donated her kidney which supported my mom for a year and a half. Unfortunately, my mom grew ill again and began the wait for another viable match. For a year and a half, my mom’s life was sustained by dialysis. Dialysis is the process of separating toxins from the blood and replacing healthy fluid back to the body also known as renal replacement therapy. In 2000, my mom received the call! A perfect match and an A+ rated kidney from Michigan was life flighted for my mom to receive. A kidney that would go on to last my mom a memorable and healthy 22 years. This kidney was that of a young woman, Amber Williams who at the time of her death had a 3 month old baby girl. 20 years passed watching my mom celebrate the anniversary of this miracle and pray for the wellness of Amber’s family and daughter. My mother then decided to reach out to Amber’s daughter to give her condolences and gratitude. My mom, is the kind of woman and mother I wish for all to have. The kind that searches the country for years to express her personal thanks for an organ donation. She is resilient, hardworking, honest, funny, intelligent, compassionate, and unconditionally loving. During these years, she managed her medical maintenance with the utmost care, this included 10+ daily medications, frequent trips from her home in North Adams to Baystate in Springfield, constant blood work, proper diet, rest, and exercise all while raising 4 children. She was full of gratitude and didn’t take one second of this kidney’s function for granted. Due to her fragile health state, pregnancy would not have been a safe option and therefore she adopted, myself and my 3 sisters! She has taught me so much about love and life and we will always be eternally grateful for her. Especially now, as a mom myself I realize how invaluable she is, not only as a mom but the most incredible Mimi! Unfortunately, February of 2022 is when life takes a turn and has lead me here to you all today. My mom most recently, went into renal/kidney failure again. This time the doctors, now 24 years later with advanced technology diagnose her officially with Compliment Disorder. This is a a rare blood disorder characterized by the C3 proteins attacking healthy cells by mistake. The C3 proteins are found in your blood and are meant to be a helpful part of your immune system and attack germs that can make you sick but instead they begin attacking the body’s healthy cells and cause symptoms of an autoimmune disorder. You against you. Her body has been under attack from the inside out. This and the ins and outs of kidney failure, dialysis, appointments, medication, and pure exhaustion and depression, has led to numerous hospital stays over the past 2+ years and lots of time off from work. This included an episode of sepsis and stay in the Critical Care Unit, where our family nearly lost her but she and her medical team fought back! My mom has been in survival mode for over 2 years. Finally! Finally! Finally! In the very early hours of June 27th 2024, she received a call. A perfect match, A+ rated kidney arrives at Mass General Hospital in Boston and has been allocated to a new chance and a better quality of life for my mom. God blessed us with a miracle and after 2 weeks of surgery, recovery, blood transfusions, and plasma pheresis she has made her way home to her family! We are asking now for your help to get my mom back on track and to help her financially manage the toll of chronic illness and the management of this new beautiful kidney. She will still be receiving biweekly blood work in addition to making weekly trips from Clarksburg to Boston and we are not quite at the finish line. I cannot finish up without acknowledging the unwavering support from our family, friends, medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and Mass General Hospital, our church, and community. We could not have weathered this storm without you all or the mercy and grace of God. Any and every donation would be loved and appreciated. Please continue the fight with us and help support my mom, my warrior, my son’s Mimi, Melissa.