Breathe Easy: Who Am I?
6
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Who Am I? Hello Everyone- My name is MacKenzie, I am a 24 year old from Boston Massachusetts. I try to live my life the most positive way possible, but behind that positivity lies a life of hardship. My childhood memories, like most, are rather vague... but the astringent smell, lifeless bodies and empty cold hallways are things that have stuck with me forever. I am the youngest daughter of three, and also the healthiest. I watched as my two older sisters struggled to survive, as my mother fought against cancer, all the while still tending to her sick daughters, and as my father walked out the door, unable to handle anymore of life’s struggles. As the attention was focused on illness, and the daunting absence of my father, how was I, the “healthy” one, expected to survive? This is a story to show my families struggles, the anger and hatred that grew inside of me from it all, and how I was able to find the path of positivity, despite all the factors that seemed to be against me. Both of my sisters were born with the genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It is a life-threatening disorder that has no cure) From the start, my life revolved around hospitals... My first memory was when I was five years old sitting in the hospital room with Lindsey, my oldest sister. I had a hospital mask strapped to my face, and I was playing with one of the beanie babies My Story Who Is MacKenzie? Meet the Blogger Here Contact Information Share 0 More Next Blog» [email protected] Dashboard Sign Out
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Transcript of Breathe Easy: Who Am I?
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Who Am I?
Hello Everyone-
My name is MacKenzie, I am a 24 year old from BostonMassachusetts. I try to live my life the most positive waypossible, but behind that positivity lies a life of hardship. Mychildhood memories, like most, are rather vague... but theastringent smell, lifeless bodies and empty cold hallways arethings that have stuck with me forever. I am the youngestdaughter of three, and also the healthiest. I watched as mytwo older sisters struggled to survive, as my mother foughtagainst cancer, all the while still tending to her sickdaughters, and as my father walked out the door, unable tohandle anymore of life’s struggles. As the attention wasfocused on illness, and the daunting absence of my father,how was I, the “healthy” one, expected to survive? This is astory to show my families struggles, the anger and hatredthat grew inside of me from it all, and how I was able tofind the path of positivity, despite all the factors thatseemed to be against me. Both of my sisters were born with the genetic diseaseCystic Fibrosis (CF causes thick, sticky mucus to build up inthe lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It isa life-threatening disorder that has no cure) From the start,my life revolved around hospitals... My first memory waswhen I was five years old sitting in the hospital room withLindsey, my oldest sister. I had a hospital mask strapped tomy face, and I was playing with one of the beanie babies
My Story
Who Is MacKenzie?
Meet the Blogger
Here
Contact Information
Share 0 More Next Blog» [email protected] Dashboard Sign Out
someone had given her as a ‘get better’ gift. Lindsey had been incredibly ill ever since she was born.Always in and out of the hospital, and when she turned 15she was told she had two weeks to live if she didn't receivenew lungs. Soon after the doctors broke that news to myfamily, Lindsey was in St. Louis undergoing a double lungtransplant, and my parents were the ones donating (theymade medical history as the first parents to ever donatelobes of lung to their child) It was thankfully a greatsuccess. Ashley was a little different when it came to her CF.While she obviously had health problems, she wasn'tconstantly in and out of the hospital growing up, likeLindsey was. She was able to stay primarily out of thehospital until she reached the age of 15 (she is 3 yearsyounger then Lindsey), and that is when the disease reekedhavoc on her body. She was told by the doctors that, she to,was in desperate need of a double lung transplant, hercurrent lungs had almost completely failed her. And withthose words, my family took no hesitations, and Ashley wasin California getting a double lung transplant. This timearound, my two aunts were the donors (after Lindsey'ssuccess at St.Louis hospital, few followed in her foot steps,the next living related transplants they performed... 13didn't make it) My parent's found California to be the bestoption to complete the surgery during that time, as therestats ranked high, and the man performing the surgery wasthe first to perform the living related lobar transplant. After both of their double lung transplants; both of mysisters acquired diabetes, and unfortunately both ended upneeding new kidneys. Ashley needed her kidney transplantfirst, and was given a kidney by my aunt... and soon after,Lindsey's kidney failed and she was given a kidney byanother aunt (my aunt became the first woman in the worldto donate two organs). After both of their kidney transplants... things, healthwise, had settled at the Dias residence... which wasunheard of! Unfortunately, that sense of calmness didn'tlast. During the summer of 2012 my sister was in the hospital asshe waited for her second double lung transplant. She wasplaced on the top of the list for a cadaveric transplant dueto her rapidly declining health. For six long, and gruelingmonths, she battled this evil, malicious disease with everypart of her being. She took her last breathe on thefourteenth of June. I watched my sister inspire the world asshe fought to survive, and then watched as the evil diseasewon the battle, and the life drifted from her eyes. I didn’t have time to grieve over Ashley’s death,because shortly after, Lindsey was told she needed anotherkidney transplant. All of this news was hitting me like a tonof bricks; I walked down the hallway of the hospital, feelingas if I was in a nightmare. The walls were caving in, and
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every thing around me began to spin, just like that my legsgave out and I was curled up on the ground. I stayed on theground with my eyes shut tight, arms clenched around myknees, expecting to be consumed by that awful rush ofanger I had grown so accustomed too. As I slowly beganopening my eyes, and releasing the tight grasp my armsformed around my body, I felt this sense of confusion. Iwasn’t feeling that rush of anger, but instead I feltsomething new and unrecognizable. It was as if somethinginside of me clicked, and as dramatic as it may seem,ultimately changed my whole perspective on life Despite my hardships, I live life with the most optimisticoutlook as possible. This new positivity was euphoric.Everything I was repeating in my head seemed so cliché, thewhole ‘you only live once’ mindset. As cliché as it maysound, it is the way everyone should experience life. I sawlife taken from this earth far too early, I’ve seen, and dealtwith things that most people won’t have to deal with intheir entire lifetime, but I came out on the other end. Iwant to show people that, although it seems easy to find somuch sadness in this world, it is just as easy to encounterthe happiness. I want to teach people to take each of theirhardships and use them as motivators to conquer anythingelse life may have in store. I was also just approved to be Lindsey's kidney donor,and that transplant will be happening soon. UPDATE: Idonated my kidney to Lindsey on January 7th 2014.I also completed my first novel, and can't wait to see whatsin store with that. My life is hectic, but I think my families story can save lives,and that is why I continue tokeep everyone in the loop withwhat is going on.
Like my facebook page to get updates!
Facebook.com/breatheeasywithme
Me on FOX: http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/24451144/23-
year-old-sister-donates-kidney-to-sister-
with#.UtYHctoAIcQ.facebook
Here is my organ donation video for anyone who is
interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dCEPnLtGG5k&feature=plcp
Here is Ashley's story on
NPR: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/05/29/153914790
/who-decides-whether-this-26-year-old-woman-gets-a-lung-
transplant
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/06/15/155140438/ashle
y-dias-1985-2012
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Posted by MacKenzie Dias at 10:27 AM
Labels: beautiful, blog, CF, cure, cystic fibrosis, death, deep,family, family story, hope, inspiration, inspiring, life, memoir,organ donation, sisters, struggle, vlog
My email is: [email protected] for anyone withquestions! Thank you for reading.
Breathe Easy,MacKenzie
Recommend this on Google
2 comments:
Transplant Friends March 11, 2014 at 5:50 PM
Beautiful post Mackenzie!Please share your book with us onTransplantFriends.comGod Bless You
Reply
Lori Hil March 19, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Beautiful story and while I am sorry for all you andyour family have gone through, I honor you for usingit to inspire others. Thank you
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