She had chronic Diabetes which lead to Diabetic Kidney Disease & Cardiovascular disease . Later, her life was sustained by dialysis treatments; my grandmother was on the Kidney transplant waiting list, at UF (University of Florida) -Shands Hospital. On June 30, 1995, she succumbed to Kidney Disease.
'Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.' ~ Thomas Moore, Poet
During our pregnancy, I was d
iagnosed with a congenital condition called Fetal Hydronephrosis, i.e., when the fetus kidney continues to become dilated due to urine unable to drain properly from the kidney. It was an extremely Bittersweet experience, knowing that our beautiful blessing would be a daughter; however, she had a progressing medical condition. On September 4, 2005, our sweet baby girl, Carrie, at only 4 months old, had corrective surgery to repair her damaged kidney; unfortunately, it was severely damaged and she'll have a Complete Nephretomy (nuh-FREK-tuh-me). Our lives were forever changed, now begun a lifelong partnership with Kidney Disease. Only God, can take our pieces to complete His puzzle. It's learning to lean completely on God, and Trust Him, with His Plan & Purpose for our lives. Purpose:
With God's grace, the Carrie Charity Kidney Bowl~Silent Auction, was founded in January 2010, Atlanta, GA. One day, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, it's now time for service, by sharing your story and promoting Kidney Awareness. The bowling venue was chosen because it's one of our family favorite pastimes. Passion:
My inspiration is from my sweet baby girl, Carrie. She’s a athlete who on Varsity Weightlifting and Volleyball. Then, Carrie, is the big sister, to Ross. He's our little Percussionist, and gentleman. A Church Drummer and aspiring track athlete. It takes a village to raise a child, and I'm truly blessed for everyone in our tee-pee. May our Heavenly Father, continue to keep us All in His almighty hand. Vision:
With God All things are possible, according to His will. Our future long-term goal, is for Caring 4 Carrie, to become a national kidney organization. Our Vision, is to build our C4C Brand. Then, our short-term goal, as a non-profit, is to have an acute focus on expecting mothers affected by Fetal Hydronephrosis. Meaning, It would be a safe haven, for these elite group of mothers to provide education and empowerment, through supportive community resources. We provide various functions/events throughout the year to promote ongoing Kidney Awareness & Wellness in metro Atlanta. Here's Our Community Connections:
1) Carrie Kidney Bowl-A-Thon:
Our annual Summer Bowling Fundraiser, motto: 'Know your health stats.' Due to Diabetes & Hypertension, being the two leading causes of Kidney Disease, we provide our guests with free testing, from a licensed nurse. Then, our bowling proceeds, benefit Atlanta Chapters of two national kidney organizations; National Kidney Foundation & American Kidney Fund. (Note: Visit YouTube, see our 2013 Video Clip: Carrie Bowl-A-Thon)
2) Care 4 Seconds- Thrift store were proceeds benefits our community cause events yearly promoting Kidney Awareness.
3) 4C Kidney Support Group:
Our Kidney Support Group, meets bi-monthly. The group meets with those affected by Kidney/Renal Disease, e.g., Dialysis & Transplant patients, Caregivers, Parents etc. The group's purpose is to decrease isolation and 'suffering in silence' and increase support & share similarities through our journey.
4) Social Media:
1) Caring 4 Carrie website: http://www.caring4carrie.com
2) Twitter: Caring for Carrie: http://twitter.com/caringforcarrie
5) Professional Affiliations:
* American Associations of Kidney Patients
www.aakp.org
* American Diabetes Association
www.diabetes.org
* Dialysis Patient Citizens
www.dialysispatients.org
* Renal Support Network
www.rsnhope.org
6) Advocacy:
I serve in dual capacities as a Patient Kidney Advocate for two National Kidney Organizations ( Georgia & Florida):
* National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
* American Kidney Fund (AKF)
Your Support is a Strike! Thomas
Caring 4 Carrie, Founder
Email: [email protected]
Ph: 941.592.4969
