Since being denied at UNC, Patrick and Morgan have been referred to 3 other transplant centers in North Carolina and are still at the beginning phase of being "worked up" for evaluation. In May we went down to the Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte for kidney transplant orientation. The good thing about being referred to CMC is that they have the shortest waiting list for an organ in the state, and although it is ideal for Patrick to have a living donor rather than a cadaver, it is still a great back-up plan. Patrick can actually transfer is current wait time (one year) from UNC to CMC to reduce the remaining time on the list.
Yesterday he had his first appointment at Duke. They took a lot of blood which they will being testing to see if he is eligible to be a kidney recipient. It's interesting that even though Patrick was approved at UNC, this does not mean he will be approved at the other transplant center (though we have no reason to believe that he will not).
Next week is his first schedule visit to Baptist Hospital at Wake Forest. We have confidence that all of these transplant centers are excellent facilities with exceptional staff. Patrick and Morgan both will be evaluated at each of these centers, and it essentially means that they are starting over with a clean slate, and with more options now than we had before. We will continue to share news as it develops, and for now we believe that patience will be a great virtue, as this could be a very lengthy process. Thank you now and always for your continued love, prayers, and support.
Wishing you all a peaceful and joyful summer!
Kate
