Wedding or Surgery: A Mother's Conflict

A heart-warming story of tough choices and family strength; of a mother's heartbreaking decision to choose between life-saving surgery and attending her daughter's wedding.

A few weeks before my daughter's wedding, I picked up my dress from the alterations shop. A breathtaking, floor-length gown in a regal shade of purple, it perfectly complemented the joyous occasion ahead.

For the past four months, I had been immersed in the whirlwind of wedding planning—from scouting the dream venue to helping her choose her perfect dress, and every detail in between. These were moments I would cherish forever. My firstborn was marrying the love of her life. Her fiancé, a kind and remarkable young man.

Though she lives 967 miles away, the anticipation was palpable. My tickets were booked, and my hotel reservations confirmed. The countdown had begun.

Then my phone rang. The caller ID displayed: "Vanderbilt Medical Center." I picked up, not thinking much of it. The voice on the other end changed everything.

I was officially on the kidney transplant list.

Disbelief, joy, gratitude, excitement, and fear swept over me all at once. I had been waiting for this moment for seven l…