We have a transplant date!

We just found out on Monday that John and Patty’s surgeries will take place on March 17th, 2021 (St. Patrick’s Day–we guess that’s good luck?!). That means on March 17, Patty will have the surgery to remove one of her kidneys, and John will receive her kidney. A ten-day mandatory quarantine period in California will happen before the surgery, and we are working out the arrangements for where will stay and how we will get around as you read this. Thanks to your help in supporting COTA for John’s Journey, we are able to make these arrangements without the added stress of wondering how costs will be covered or if we will go into debt. For this generosity and peace of mind, we can’t thank you all enough!

John’s been getting more and more lethargic and has mood downturns also–both side effects of kidney disease. Next week he will get another round of blood work to find out exactly how his kidney is doing, and also next week we (Mike and Patty) will get the second round of our COVID vaccines. Our friend Jen, who will be traveling to California and accompanying Patty at the hospital and back to Oregon afterward, is also scheduled to complete her vaccine soon. These are all important precautions for being at the adult hospital, where COVID cases are still high. 

There is still a slight chance that John would get an organ from a deceased donor–we heard this happen to a family recently who was down quarantining and then an organ that was a match became available. It’s a small chance, but if we’ve learned anything, it’s that this process–especially during COVID–is unpredictable! So we will roll with whatever happens. We will be continuing regular farm operations while we are away thanks to our amazing staff. And some of you may even see us at the Beaverton Farmers Market for a couple of times before we leave for California. After that, Greg will be there along with our amazing market crew. 

Again, thank you, and we are so glad to have a surgery date!

P.S. If you want to order a John’s Journey shirt and didn’t get to before, you can do so through our John’s Journey Fun Run link for a limited time. Thank you to our volunteer crew for making this happen!