The Simple Things Have Never Been Sweeter

Sophie and Pa

Addie and Pa

This past week was filled with the wonderful simple things in life.  Ken and I went to our granddaughter's first piano recital.  Sitting there and listening to songs played on piano and guitar by "aspiring" musicians we smiled and realized this is what life's about.  On Monday, we spent the morning with Addie and Sophie at their school for Grandparents day. Although an ordinary event for us, this time it was extraordinary.  Ken played golf and had a score in the 80's. Greg joked that he may want to look into getting another kidney :)  Amazing feat for someone who had a kidney transplant 3 months ago. The best things in life are the simple things.  We follow routines every day of our lives but when those routines are interrupted or changed, we realized how much we LOVED those simple things.  My mom would always say something good comes out of every challenging situation.  She was so right.  Ken and I both see life in a new, beautiful light.  We treasure the simple things.  We want to spend time enjoying the simple things.  We thank God for giving us these simple things.

This past week Ken reached a milestone - 3 months post transplant surgery.  For the past three months, Ken had to record in his black notebook every ounce of fluid he took in and every ounce of fluid he put out.  He had to keep track of weight, blood pressure, and temperature every day.  It gives me great pleasure to announce that the black notebook has been officially "retired."  This was a HUGE step forward!  Yesterday Ken went in for his second infusion of medicine to kill the virus in his blood.  Last week we waited anxiously for the results of the blood test measuring the level in his blood.  It had dropped from 90,000 to 31,000!  The doctor said if it goes below 5,000 he won't have to have any more infusions. We will find out those results next week.  I humbly ask again for prayers that this medicine continues to work.  I thank you again for all your love and support.

I wanted to end today's blog with a Danish proverb that I wanted to share with all of you - "What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God."  During this season of Advent, let's give of ourselves to others and in so doing we are giving to God.

Until next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,
Pat

 

Life is GOOD!!

Thanksgiving at Pa and La La's house

Thanksgiving had a different feel this year.  First of all, I finally got to cook our dinner using "normal recipes" and not ones that had to be changed to accommodate Ken's dialysis diet. So the food tasted extra GOOD!  We cherished the time we got to spend with our daughter, Stefanie, Danny and our three beautiful granddaughters.  It was a simple day, but those simple things felt so GOOD!  Time has become very important to Ken and me.  We try to enjoy the moments and not worry about the future.  We know God has the plan and we ask Him daily for the strength to follow His will. 

SLUMBER PARTY!!!!!!

Friday night we had another first - slumber party at Pa and La La's house.  It had been months since the last sleepover.  It was so hard for Ken and me to look at those little girls' eyes asking when they could sleep here again.  When Ken came home from work, he asked Addie and Sophie if they wanted to sleep over. They screamed and jumped for joy and it sounded so GOOD!

Tailgating with Friends

On Saturday Ken played his second round of golf.  He enjoyed each and every moment on that golf course and it was so GOOD!  Sunday was the best day of all.  We finally went to our first Saints' game of this season at the Dome.  As we were walking to the Dome from the parking garage, Ken said a month ago he could not walk from his recliner to the kitchen without being short of breath.  Now we were walking at a brisk pace and it felt so GOOD!  We tailgated with some good friends and enjoyed the company, the beautiful day and the fact that life was starting to feel normal and it was so GOOD!  Once inside the Dome our friends were so excited to see Ken back.  They were all amazed at how good he looked.  We cheered, screamed, jumped up and down and tried to help our Saints get a win but it was not meant to be.  Sure we were disappointed but not like we felt before this journey began.  Things are different now and Ken and I see life from a new perspective and it feels so GOOD!

Back in the Dome

So as life continues to slowly but surely get back to normal, our post-transplant journey continues. Ken is now getting infusions every two weeks to kill the virus that is active in his blood.  He is scheduled to receive three more treatments.  The infusion lasts for 4 1/2 hours.  He receives saline to hydrate the kidney for 3 1/2 hours and then receives the medicine for 1 hour.   So far he has not experienced any side effects from the medicine.  They are monitoring his blood weekly, and he may have to have another kidney biopsy in the near future.  We again ask you to keep Ken in your thoughts and prayers.  Despite this current bump in the road, life is truly getting better and better every day and both Ken and I are feeling very GOOD!

Until next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,
Pat

A Week of Firsts!!

First Golf Game since 9/8/12

Ken and George

Life was good this week.  Ken played his first round of golf in more than 9 weeks on Saturday.  He had a GREAT time with his golfing buddies and actually played pretty well.  He was so happy to get back on the golf course.  It was a huge step for him toward that normal life he is looking to get back to.

On Sunday Ken and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary.  We had made plans months ago to go to the beach for a long weekend, but we decided to put that off until a later date.  Instead we enjoyed a beautiful "Anniversary" weekend - dining at Ruth's Chris and breakfast at Peppermill.  We cheered our Saints on to a GREAT victory on Sunday afternoon and talked to our children both in town and out of town.  Ken and I both agreed this was the best weekend we have had in months.

Anniversary Dinner

The challenges do continue for Ken. His new kidney is still showing a mild rejection, and he also has a virus in his system. The doctors agree that the treatment plan now is to kill the virus with medicine given through an infusion.  He will have his first infusion on Wednesday.  This medicine is powerful and we are confident it will finally get rid of the virus. He will need to have the infusion every two weeks until the blood work shows the virus is gone. In the next few weeks, Ken will have another kidney biopsy to check the cells in the kidney and assess his progress.This is normal protocol for a new kidney transplant patient. Since Ken is still on Coumadin for the blood clots, I will have to administer shots in his stomach again until after the biopsy.  Then they will start him back on Coumadin and the shots will continue until the lab results show a therapeutic level in his blood again.  So we humbly ask you keep Ken in your prayers as he continues on this path to recovery.  Pray that the gift of life from Alex, that wonderful kidney, will keep functioning so beautifully. As always, we know we can count on all of your good thoughts and prayers.

So as we approach Thanksgiving, we want to thank God first for all He has done for us.  We want to thank our amazing family, Stefanie and Danny, Greg and Camille, Kelly and Alex and our three beautiful granddaughters, Addie, Sophie and Jillie.  We want to thank our extended family and friends who have followed this blog and continually give us their support, prayers and love.  Life is a journey of faith.  Ken and I realize that nothing is guaranteed so enjoy each moment that God gives us. Our prayer as we wake each morning is, " God, whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people - because that's what life is all about.  I don't want to waste this day."  You are all in our prayers today and every day.

Until next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,
Pat

Another Successful Kidney Walk!!

Ken With A Kidney!

Ken and Terry

Sunday was a GREAT day for the Roig Family.  We took part in the 2012 Kidney Walk.  The Renal Roigs raised over $1,000 for the Kidney Foundation.  Our team was made up of family - our daughters, Stefanie and Kelly and their husbands Danny and Alex.  Our son, Greg, and his wife Camille were there with Jim and Mary, Camille's parents from California and Camille's Aunt Meg.  Ken's sister Sheila and brother David with his wife Tammy and children Gabby and Joel participated.  My cousin Frank and his wife Barbara and my cousins Becky, Sue, and her husband Jerry came.  Our good friends Roberta, Ken and Darren Chevis joined us.  Ken's cousin Rhonda and her husband Terry walked too.  Kelly got a wonderful surprise when her friends showed up to walk with our team - Holly, James, Poppy, Ashley Z, Paige, Becky, and Ashleigh P.  Greg's friends Tim and Lauren joined us as well as our new friends Colleen and John. We want to thank everyone who walked with us in person or in spirit and for their prayers and well wishes.  It was a celebration of the gift that Alex, our son-in-law, gave to Ken.  It was a time to focus on encouraging others to consider the gift of life - becoming a donor.  We hope more people will walk with us next year.  As you can see by the pictures, fun was had by all.  Sally Ann Roberts from WWL-TV came out to the Kidney Walk to do a follow-up on the story she did in August on Alex and Ken.  On the morning show this week, Sally Ann talked about Ken and Alex two months after the transplant surgery. She said our family is dedicated to "paying it forward" by encouraging organ donations and bringing attention to other causes in our community.  We have been blessed in many ways by this blog and we hope to share our blessings with others.  Thank you Sally Ann for all you do for this community and for making all of us aware of the need for bone marrow donors as well as organ donors.  May this blog encourage others to find out more about becoming a living donor!

This week Ken and I went to his clinic visit to get the results of his kidney biopsy.  The doctor said the kidney is showing a mild acute rejection.  This apparently is very common and many transplant patients experience this a few times in the 3 to 6 months after the transplant surgery.  They will start treatment immediately which will be IV infusions of steroids for 3 days and then oral steroids for awhile.  The infusion should last about 45 minutes.  Good news it can be done as an outpatient procedure.  They will monitor his blood levels daily.  He will also have another Echogram since he still gets short of breath occasionally.  One positive bit of news from our visit is that Ken was told by the doctor that he could start playing golf again soon. YAY!!!!!!!

So life goes on and we enjoy the blessings we receive each and every day.  Some days the journey takes strange turns but God is our guide and He knows the way.  We trust in Him and know that He loves us so much and knows what is best for us.  We ask as always that you keep those AWESOME prayers coming our way.  You are our "Prayer Warriors!"

Until the next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,
Pat                                                        

Pat and Sheila

Sheila, Meg, Mary. and Camille

"LaLa" and Addie

                   

Sheila and Meg

                                               

Addie Swinging!

Jim and Mary

                     

Darren, Alex, Ken

                       

David and Ken

                                 

Colleen, Greg, John, and Camille

           

Meg, Sheila. Jim, Mary, Darren, Ken, and Roberta

     

James, Poppy, Holly, Alex, Becky, Paige, Ashleigh, Kelly, and Ashley

Ken, Rhonda, and Terry

Jillie, Stef, Danny, Sophie, and Addie

Meg, Sheila, Camille, Mary

Daughter and Mom

Danny, Jillie, Stef, and Ken

                                                                                                                                     

Frank, Ken, and Jerry

                                                                                               

Ken and Jerry

A Time To Work, A Time To Pray, And A Time To Walk!!

As I sit in the same waiting room I did on September 10th,  I can't believe the journey that we have taken in these past 8 weeks.  Ken has certainly experienced some setbacks along the way, but I wanted to share some happy events that have occurred recently.  Ken went back to work last week and though it was a struggle initially he finally felt a little sense of normalcy.  He battled with a low energy level and his blood pressure kept bottoming out which made him feel "washed out." But on Friday, something changed. Ken started feeling better - much better. His blood pressure leveled off so the doctor discontinued his medicines. He was able to run a few errands and catch up on "jobs" around the house.  He kept saying he felt like a normal person again, the best he has felt since the surgery. On Sunday, our grandchildren came over and spent the day. It was great to see them and play with them. Addie said, "I wish I could come over to your house everyday!" Ken and I agreed.  Sunday night we slept very well after our "play day."  

Yesterday Ken had a biopsy on his kidney. A week ago some levels changed in Ken's kidney. The doctors immediately started running tests to see what was going on. We have learned that this is a normal occurrence for kidney transplant patients to have one or two biopsies in the first few months after surgery. This gives the doctors a good picture of what is going on and more importantly how best to "fix" the problem.  This was done as an outpatient procedure.  Ken had to take it easy yesterday, but was back to work today. We will receive the results of the biopsy on Monday, and as always ask for your good thoughts and prayers.

The Return Of Our Hero and His Amazing Wife

On an exciting note, we are thrilled to have Kelly, our amazing donor Alex, Greg, Camille, and her parents Mary and Jim, and Camille's Aunt Meg to celebrate Ken's kidney and Alex's gift - that wonderful kidney - on Sunday at the Kidney Walk in Audubon Park.  Team Renal Roigs has over 20 members walking this year. We are blessed with all these family members and friends walking with us. It is not too late to join the Renal Roigs. The walk begins at 9:30am on Sunday in Audubon Park. You can register to walk with us starting at 8am that morning. Our team will be wearing royal blue shirts this year with A Kidney For Ken written on the front of them. We hope to see you there!

Until the next time may The Lord carry us on our journey,
Pat

The Long and Winding Road to Recovery

Hi all,

Sorry for the delayed update on Ken, but I was waiting on the outcomes of some recent doctors’ appointments before I sent out another blog.  Ken is home and has been since October 4^th.  Recovery has been slow and we have been traveling back and forth to the clinic for labs and doctors’ visits.  He now goes to a new lab weekly called the Coumadin clinic.  There they check the level of Coumadin (a medicine that keeps his blood from clotting easily).  This has to be monitored closely and they want a therapeutic level of 2.5 in his blood.  Presently it is at 2.2 so they will continue to adjust the dosage of medicine.  

Ken also went to see a vascular doctor who did another ultrasound on his leg.  He said the clots are starting to dissolve in some of the veins in his leg, but one or two are still blocked.  He told Ken that he may have pain, varicose veins and swelling in that leg down the road.  He told him about a procedure where the doctor injects medicine directly into the veins that are clotted to help dissolve the clots. However, since it would be on the same side as his new kidney, it could affect the new kidney.  Ken said he did not want anything jeopardizing that kidney.  So instead the doctor prescribed a compression stocking that Ken will need to use on that leg.  Ken and I could be on America’s Funniest Home videos trying to pull that thing on every morning!! One piece of great news is that the nephrologist told Ken that his new kidney continues to be functioning beautifully.  He has graduated to clinic visits every two weeks now.  They will still follow him closely with weekly blood tests.  A second piece of great news is that Ken drove the two of us to his clinic today.  He smiled the whole way there.  I think he was tired of being in “my carpool.”  I was thrilled to be chauffeured for a change.  His next goal is going back to work on Monday.  This will be the beginning of a normal life for both Ken and me.  Ken and I have learned that this journey is not a simple one.  It will have bumps along the way some are bigger than others but we know that we always have friends and family like you to count on.  We know there will be more challenges but we have decided to live each day and to be thankful for that gift from God.  It is so hard not to worry about the future, but we know we have no control over that.  

Instead we wish to pay our blessings forward to others.  Our first event will be the Kidney Walk in New Orleans on Sunday, November 4^th at Audubon Park.    

If you want to walk with us you can go to: 
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/Louisiana?pg=entry&fr_id=5120 

You can register as a member of our team – “Renal Roigs”  and walk with us.  Our team is listed on the right side under the Family/Friends teams. If you can’t walk with us and want to donate to the National Kidney Foundation, you can make a general donation by clicking the tab “Make a General Donation.” This year we will be walking in honor of living donors like our hero, Alex, and hope to inspire others to give the gift of life to someone in need. We hope you can join us on this very special day!

Until the next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,
Pat

That Which Does Not Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

Hi everyone,

My apologies for the radio silence coming from this blog the past couple weeks. In the past when we have put together these weekly blog entries, I write and my son in his role as blog editor helps to make sure the entries are not too long and that they stay on track. But this week he said to do some stream of consciousness writing. So pull up a chair and maybe a coffee as I fill you all in on the last last two and half weeks of this journey. 

The best place to start this story is three days after surgery. After a very successful kidney transplant, Ken experienced burning and chest pains while at his clinic appointment later that week. He was sent directly to the ER, and an EKG was performed which was normal. Ken was also complaining about being winded from simple tasks like walking to the bathroom. They kept him on a "hard" emergency room bed for about 8 hours ruling out a heart attack, and eventually sending him home. Each day after that Ken seemed to tire very easily and was definitely out of breath after the simplest of tasks. He related this to his nurse and to all the staff at his next clinic visit the following week. They all told him he was only 2 weeks out of major surgery and at 62 years old his body was healing slower than a younger man's body would. During these days he lost about 20 lbs which they said was normal for a dialysis patient. I just had this feeling something wasn't right though. On Monday September 24, Ken and I took a nice walk in the neighborhood, his first time being outside. It was great and when we got back Ken complained of a pain in his groin.  He figured he pulled something. When his nurse called to check in and change medicines Ken told him about the pain. He said if it got worse or moved upward to go to the ER.  On Tuesday Ken was moving slower, more winded and just not looking or feeling good. He was anxious to go to clinic the next day and find out where the pain in his leg was coming from. That night Ken decided to sleep on his recliner because it was the only way he could get comfortable. I slept next to him on the sofa. As I lay there that night, I kept thinking about how Ken would almost pass out when he stood up. He kept thinking his pressure was low. I was really concerned. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get him to clinic the next day. He was in pain, could hardly walk and was so light headed. Earlier that day, I had called my neighbor across the street and he had brought me a wheelchair to use. I kept thinking about how shocked he was when he saw Ken. The weight loss was that evident. 

Ready to get back home!

Ken went to sleep around 10:30pm and I worried myself to sleep around 11:30pm. I woke up at midnight to a bright light. I was so confused trying to figure out where I was. Where did that light come from and where did it go? I went to the bathroom and heard Ken. I came back and asked him if he was OK and I got a weak yes. A few minutes later he was calling my name and I could hear the fear in his voice. He asked me to feel his leg. When I touched his calf, it was as hard as a rock and it felt warm. When I put on the light, I was shocked at the size of his leg. He looked at me and said we have got to go to the ER. I think I have a blood clot. I was terrified. I called 911 and ran around the house packing his medicines, his kidney transplant record book, and anything else I knew that was important. The ambulance arrived in about 10 minutes and we were off to the ER. The medical staff was great. He was evaluated and they contacted the transplant team. They gave him medicine for pain. His right leg was twice the size of his left. They sent him to ultrasound and I got to watch as the doctor took picture after picture of his right leg. After 30 minutes, he told Ken he had a sizable clot that started at his groin and went all the way down to his calf. He did an ultrasound of the renal artery and that beautiful new  kidney. It was GREAT news. The kidney was functioning normally and no clots had invaded the kidney. They started him immediately on blood thinning medicines and told us he would be admitted. I was thrilled because this is where he needed to be to get the right level of care.We arrived in the ER around 12:45am and at 7:00am they moved him to a holding area for the ER while he waited to be admitted to the transplant floor.  Now this is when and where the problems began. He was left alone for long periods of time. Apparently blood work was suppose to be done every 6 hours to check levels of meds in his blood. Those were not done. Thank God I brought all his anti rejection drugs for his kidney because these meds have to be taken at a certain time each day morning and night. I gave him his meds in the morning. I measured his intake and output of fluids and recorded it. I basically was his nurse. He was able to sleep since that did not happen the previous night. After a horrendous amount of time (19 hours to be exact!!), he was admitted to the transplant floor. We were back with an amazing medical staff that knew exactly how to treat Ken's condition. Ken still was in considerable pain and was on strict bed rest. Everyone who came into the room and saw his leg were amazed. The popular description was "quite an impressive clot!"  The following day a VQ scan of his lungs was ordered. The doctors were concerned about his being winded. I had a feeling there were clots in his lung and the test results showed that. Each day the doctors would tell him it is a slow recovery process and the pain will eventually get better. As I sit here today - day 7 in the hospital his pain is almost gone. The swelling has gone down considerably. The doctors are still trying to get his Coumadin levels at what they call therapeutic to send him home. PT came in today with a cane to give him a little more stability when walking temporarily. He walked the hallway for the first time in 6 days and was a little winded. Ken and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! I took that picture of a smiling Ken last night as this long hospital stay is coming to an end.

Being a teacher, I always ask the question what can be learned from this experience. First and foremost, you need to be so aware of your body. After any major surgery you need to know blood clots are a risk. No matter what, always ask questions and continue to ask until you get answers (and hopefully consensus on those answers).  And if possible, every time you go to the hospital have a loved one with you to listen and ask questions too. Secondly, medicine and medical treatments have changed so much in my lifetime. The technology that is available today is quite amazing and can save more lives than ever before. I do worry though about Emergency Room medicine and the competence of some medical personnel in that area. This is the first response to a patient in a crisis situation. It is vital that the staff is able to evaluate and treat each patient properly. The system seems flawed and our experiences at the ER this past month were both scary and unnerving, two words that should not be part of any patient experience. And finally I am reminded of the power of prayer, love and support from all of you. Ken and I have appreciated all of your words of encouragement and know how lucky we are to have all of you. God has walked beside us each step of the way. We thank Him and praise Him for all the blessings He gives us. And I would be remiss in not mentioning our most special blessing, Alex's selfless gift of a kidney, which today is working just the way it should be, beautifully.

Until the next time may the Lord carry us on our journey,

Pat

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

What a journey this has been and still is but things certainly look different with a husband who now has a beautiful kidney functioning normally.  There are so many visible physical changes in Ken but it is the “inner peace” that to me is the BEST!!!!!  I wanted to thank all of you again for following this journey with us.  We read all your comments and knew we had hundreds of people praying for Ken and Alex.  Your prayers were answered and so were ours.  Thank you God!!!!! 

As I look back on the surgery I wanted to share some moments with you.  I call these my “snapshots” of this amazing journey.  I think you will see the wide range of emotions we experienced this past week.   Sit back and laugh a little and cry a little as you read about the “moments” of  September 10th . 

3:30 am – Everyone was anxious but surprisingly all slept pretty well.  Ken was humming a song – Oh What a Beautiful Morning.   I smiled. 

8:00 am - Awaiting surgery, Ken and Alex were across the hall from each other.  Family members could go into each room.  Humor is so important to both our families so the jokes were flying between Ken and Alex.  After they took Alex to surgery Kelly came into her dad’s room.  She sat next to me put her head down and started to cry quietly.  I was rubbing her back and when I looked up Ken was staring right at Kelly.  He kept whispering, “ Is she ok?” I could see the pain in his eyes.   He told me it was tearing his heart out.  As we said goodbyes I knew this was on his mind but I looked at him and said, “This is what you wanted.  This is it.  I will see you in a few hours. I love you!”   

4:00pm - Recovery room visit – Greg and I went to see Ken.  The first moment I saw him was magical – his color, his urine output, his voice and his HUGE smile!!!!  His first question was, “How is Alex and how is Kelly? It ripped my heart out to see her cry.” The conflicting emotions of wanting that kidney for a better quality of life and  wanting to protect your daughter from pain and sorrow were heartbreaking. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of that moment. 

8:30pm - First visit for Alex and Ken on the transplant floor – Alex had been in his room for about 4 hours.  Ken had just been brought up from recovery.  The nurse was walking Alex down the hallway to Ken’s room.  Alex was on powerful pain meds and seemed out of it.  Ken had a terrible dry mouth from all the medicines administered during surgery that caused his upper lip to stick to his gum above his front teeth – this made him look like he had fake protruding teeth.  When he spoke it sounded like he had a mouth full of cotton.  When he saw Alex he mumbled, “You are my hero!”  Alex in pain looked at him with his wide eyes and said, “I hate you.”   

This new journey is just beginning.  Ken’s quest for a better quality of life has begun.  We know there will be many bumps in the road as Ken’s body adjusts to the anti-rejection drugs.  We know there will be challenges along the way but we can face them now with a kidney that is functioning perfectly in his body.  Keep the prayers coming.  Ken is going to the clinic for blood work and doctor visits 2 to 3 times a week.  He needs to build up his strength and energy levels.  He is still not having visitors at the house but does enjoy phone calls.  During the next few weeks Ken, Alex, Stefanie and Kelly will be writing their thoughts during this journey.  It will be so interesting to hear their feelings.

Until the next time, may the Lord carry us on our journey, 
Pat

A Final Update and A Special Thank You

Hi everyone,

As we approach the one week mark since the surgery, I wanted to provide one final update on Alex and Ken before signing off as your resident blogger. Alex and Kelly are enjoying being back home in Greenville as Alex continues his recovery. Ken has also been enjoying a weekend of recovery and relaxation free of doctor's appointments. Regarding the football game I would rather not speak of, I will simply say that Alex enjoyed the result, Ken certainly did not. But we all enjoyed the fact that both were healthy enough to cheer for their respective teams :-)

Over the past week, we have doubled the number of visits to the blog. Amazing! This is a testament to all of  you and your love and support for Alex and Ken. Your prayers, thoughts, words, gifts, and other kind actions have nourished our hearts, minds, and souls all week long. We realize how busy all of your lives are and that you have your own families to take care of and with that your own set of challenges. But you chose to follow us, and for most not just this past week but since the very beginning. For that, we humbly thank you all and ask for your continued support in following this journey. 

Starting tomorrow, we will be going back to our regular weekly blogs on Thursday. We expect to have blog entries from both Alex and Ken soon so please stay tuned. Have a great week!

Until the next time, may the Lord carry us on our journey,

Greg

Goodbye Kelly and Alex!

Ken and Alex posing for one last pic

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. Alex, you are and will continue to be our hero. Kelly, your strength, courage, and faith this week was amazing. We love you!!

Until the next time...

Greg

Goodbye tears of joy

Pat thanking Alex one more time

Father and daughter special moment

Beaming with pride for my brother-in-law and lil sis

Ready to get back home!

Alex and his parents reunited

Onward to Greenville, SC