I was told the night of my surgery that he was doing well. He was so happy in his new home he started working right away. Good job buddy. A few days later they shared that everyone involved was doing very well and recovering as expected. At my post surgical follow up, Tina, the Living Donor coordinator passed on a message from the recipients family: They are thrilled, so appreciative and they wanted me to know how much I have impacted not just Lefties new home, but the entire family. If I never get any other information, this is really all I needed to know/hear.
That being said, if given the opportunity, would I like to meet the recipient? Absolutely. I don't need a relationship, to exchange Christmas cards or anything like that but I'd like to see them. Get a snapshot of what their lives are like. See the people Leftie is with now. I don't know why exactly but I am curious.
I really do liken it to the whole "adoption" experience. I have to be okay with never meeting them, or not necessarily liking what I find if I do. The added twist in the case of kidney donation is that Leftie isn't mine anymore so they can do whatever they want to him and I have to not care. Which I think is fine. I'd hope they'd treat him right and I'm sure they would-I think 99% of people in their shoes would take advantage of the renewed health and do their best to keep themselves healthy.
I've watched a few You Tube videos of meetings (my favourite part of the linked video is around the 18min mark) at other hospitals (in the States). Some are just meetings, others are press conferences or more formal presentations at medical events. I don't have a picture in my head of where I'd like to meet or how it could go. That's probably a good thing as it may not ever happen. But if it did it would be pretty cool. I have no idea what I'd say to that person or their family and imagine they feel the same.
I'll probably always stop and think from time to time "Where is Leftie" and wonder how he is, and more importantly his new keeper are doing. I'm sure they may even think of me from time to time and how we came to be connected for life. It's a pretty unusual feeling to have this kind of connection with a complete stranger.
But you never know what will happen...maybe we'll meet., maybe we won't. It's not something I can force or make happen but here's hoping.
