Donor RegistryMother’s Day symbolizes second chance at life for kidney recipient Monica Allen and her daughter.
Fort Worth native and kidney recipient Monica Allen and her daughter, Bianca, celebrate Mother's Day a little differently than most families. After their family dinner, they sit down and write a letter to Monica's donor family, thanking them for the gift of life they gave to Monica more than 16 years ago.
A single, working mother and avid health nut, Monica was diagnosed with Lupus in 1982. The disease attacked her hands and feet, and her condition became very severe. She suffered a mild heart attack and spent several years on dialysis, relying on the support of her mother, father and sister to help her raise her daughter.
"I would come home from dialysis and be wiped out," Monica said. "My mother took an early retirement to help raise my daughter."
Bianca said that, as a child, she found herself constantly worried about her mother and her health. However, Monica was very open with Bianca about her dialysis treatments and they would discuss what was occurring. "We remained close during her illness and that comforted my fears of losing her," Bianca said.
In April 1993, Monica was placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. But the first kidney that became available wasn't a match, and the second available one was too damaged to be used. Monica's sister, Michelle Ford, planned to give her kidney to Monica, but she was not a match. Just as Monica had given up hope and asked her sister to care for her daughter when she was gone, a phone call came the day before Mother's Day and changed everything.
Mother's Day Miracle
Through LifeGift, a Texas not-for-profit organ procurement organization, an anonymous family donated the kidney that proved to be the perfect match for Monica. Her transplant surgery took place at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital on Mother's Day 1993, and she’s had no complications since then.
Monica credits her doctors, Darrell Hirt, M.D., and Lee Anderson, M.D., of Tarrant Nephrology, the kidney transplant team at Harris Methodist and her family for getting her through many tough years. Monica said her experience brought her closer to her daughter, family and God.
“I used to pray to God to let me live long enough to see my daughter graduate from high school,” Monica said. “After my heart attack, Bianca said she wanted to make me proud, and I've raised a phenomenal daughter. She's made me proud her entire life. Nothing has stopped her from obtaining what she wanted.”
After graduating from TCU in 2005, Bianca is now a financial aid advisor for the university and is working on her master's in public administration at the University of Texas at Arlington. She will graduate magna cum laude in December 2009. She said that seeing her mother live a healthy and long life is a blessing and makes her cherish all the moments they have together.
“The older I get, the more I appreciate life when I think of her,” Bianca said. “As a child, many doctors doubted whether my mother would see me graduate high school due to her poor health. However, seeing me graduate with a master’s degree in the fall will be quite an emotional time for both of us.”
Monica hopes that by telling her story more people will realize the importance of organ and tissue donation. She wants others to celebrate Mother’s Day by registering to become organ and tissue donors on the Glenda Dawson Donate Life – Texas Registry website at http://www.DonateLifeTexas.org.
On Saturday, May 16, Monica and her family will also participate in LifeGift's annual Second Chance Run. The 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run promotes the critical need for more Texans to register as organ and tissue donors.
Video/Photo/Interview Opportunities
Monica Allen is available for interviews. To schedule an interview with Monica and/or a LifeGift representative, please phone or e-mail the media contact below.
