Day 305/365

     Yesterday/day 305 10 year-old Jessica Schwerin got to come home to Bay City, exactly one week after having her kidney transplant operation down in Ann Arbor. She and her mother were driven back in the limo again, and before going home they stopped in to see Jessica's kidney donor, local business owner Brian Martindale. It was a fun reunion to witness, (Jessica was mostly asleep when Brian visited her in her recovery room when they were both still down in Ann Arbor last Sunday). I've loved being able to be a part of this story from the beginning up until now, and I'm so glad these two are both recovering well and rather quickly. They both deserve it. If you'd like to see more photos and articles written on Jessica's homecoming, you can find a few with links to others on MLive here.

Day 297/365

     I got to hang with my favorite ten year-old today. As I mentioned a few days/posts ago, there have been some major developments in Jessica Schwerin's story. Jessica, who was diagnosed with kidney failure mid-2012, is getting a transplant! She's spending tonight down in Ann Arbor before having her operation tomorrow morning. A local business owner heard her story and lent her, her mother, and her donor his limo to be taken down to the hospital in. We covered her sendoff, and her arrival at the hospital today. I took quite a few pictures of her, but this one was by far my favorite. She was saying goodbye to her dog, and you all know how I can't resist a dog photo op.

    What gets me the most, is that the man who's donating his kidney to Jessica decided to do so after seeing her story in the Bay City Times, which I photographed. It's incredibly humbling to know that in some small way you can help someone, and I can't think of any girl who deserves it more than Jessica. Today was one of those days that reminded me how much I love my job, which I don't often forget, but still; I. love. my. life.

     To see the article/more photos on her limo send off, you can find them on MLive here, and to see photos from her first night in the hospital, with a short copy block written by yours truly, you can find that here.

Day 295/365

     Tuesday's/day 295's photo isn't much to look at, but it certainly carries a lot of meaning. If you remember me talking about Jessica, the 10 year-old Bay City girl in need of a kidney transplant, then this sign will make more sense, (she was in my posts for days 186 and 254). Jessica was originally brought to MLive's/the Bay City Times' attention when her mother, Stacey, was seen standing on the corner of a major intersection in Bay City asking passing drivers to be organ donors, as her daughter had been diagnosed with kidney failure. This is that sign. I'll be covering some major developments in Jessica's story starting tomorrow/Thursday/day 297 through this weekend, so stay tuned!

Day 254/365

     A few months ago, on day 186, I took photos of a 10 year-old Bay City girl who had been diagnosed with stage five kidney failure earlier this year. Her mother gained local and national attention with her attempts to get the word out that her daughter needed a donor, whether it was by contacting us at the newspaper, or standing on street corners asking people to help get the word out and get tested to be donors. Her efforts paid off.

     Her daughter, Jessica, has received a donor anonymously and will have the kidney transplant in the first or second week of January. Local Bay Cit businesses are now helping the pair out with medical bills by holding donation days this Saturday, where beauty salons, Jessica's favorite candy store, and other shops will donate and profits and proceeds taken in directly to Jessica and her mother, Stacey. A benefit is being held for them Friday night at a local theater with food and music as well.

     This girl is by far one of my most favorite people I've photographed. She's so much fun, and such a spunky little kid. I had to remind myself how serious her problems were, because you'd never know it by meeting her. I met her and her mom at the aforementioned candy store this evening, and after we had taken pictures and I was going to leave, Jessica came up to me and gave me a giant hug. Then, her mother thanked me for helping to get her story out, and that she didn't think they could've done without the paper's publicity. The article that I took today's photos for should be up tomorrow, but in the meantime you can see all the photos from today in this MLive gallery here, and once the article's up there should be a link to it under the photos when you look at them individually. 

Have I mentioned before that I love my job?

     

Day 186/365

     My day yesterday ran pretty late, and by the time I got home I pretty much headed straight for bed since I had an early start this morning too. Before I covered football last night, I went out to Bay City to take pictures of a young girl who's been diagnosed with kidney failure. A reporter and I met with her and her mother so that he could interview them while I got some photos. Her mother has been working nonstop to find her a possible kidney donor: from going to local churches and asking for prayers, standing outside of major shopping centers with a sign for hours on end, to contacting the paper about doing a story. If she doesn't find a donor soon, her daughter, Jessica, will have to start dialysis.

     Jessica has to be one of the coolest kids I've ever met; you'd never know from her attitude that she's sick. When her mom was telling the reporter how strong she's been throughout this entire ordeal, Jessica commented with something along the lines of, "Why do people always say that? Am I supposed to be weak?" I loved her attitude, and I have a feeling that she'll be finding a donor soon. I was ready to give her one of my kidneys after the first five minutes of talking to her, and I think other people will too after finding out about her.

     The photo I posted for Friday/yesterday/day 186 is of Jessica holding her mother's hand after she got a bit emotional while talking about all that Jessica's had to go through after being diagnosed. You can see the other photos I took on MLive here, and once the story's posted in a few days there should be a link to the article underneath the photos as well.