Recently at Salit Steel HQ we asked for our Team to send in some shots from their 2018 summer fun! The results were fantastic and we’re happy to say that the Salit family had many happy moments of summer fun to share with us! Thank you to everyone who shared their photos and stories, the results were REALLY great and here is one of our favourites sent in from Gary at our Bowmanville location.
My Kidney Story by Gary Vander Meulen, Salit Steel Bowmanville
This summer was vastly different from any other summer I’ve ever had. But it was also by far the most rewarding. On July 4 I had the privilege of donating a kidney to a young man who needed one. He is the son of friends who I’ve known since grade school.
It is so hard to keep this journey a short story. What I can say is that there was a need and I was willing to step up and try to help. After lots of testing, we were an excellent match. Surgery went well (it turns out that I have/had! extra large kidneys) and recovery also went very well. The young man is also back to work in September and the dialysis machine was removed from his house in mid-August.
Along the way I learned a few things. God can take “I’m willing to try” and turn it into something big and beautiful. Prayers, thoughts and well wishes can really be felt when they are lifted up on your behalf.
And I am now convinced that it is the right thing to do to give away what you do not need to someone who needs it. Be it time, money, a helping hand or, on very rare occasion, a body part!
Thanks to Salit Steel who supported me through the process and was a part of making this happen. My family and the recipient’s family have been blown away by those who contributed, helped and supported us this summer.
