On my Mom’s first day of dialysis, she prayed. Then, being the Irish Catholic that she was, Mom checked her church calendar to see which feast day it was. The calendar said it was the feast of St. Bridget and Mom said, “An Irish Saint! Glory be to God!”
Actually, it was the feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden, but Mom didn’t know that and confused it with St. Brigid – one of the patron saints of Ireland and nuns. No matter! Whether it was an Irish saint, St. Brigid of Kildare, or a Swedish saint, St. Bridget, angels watched over Mom during those years. Mom named her fistula, “Bridie.” From that day on and for the ten years dialysis kept Mom alive, the grandchildren petted it and said it purred “like a kitty cat.”
Today Mom’s nephew, one of the newborn twins I mention in my book, The Reluctant Donor, begins his first day of dialysis.
(See why I wrote The Reluctant Donor?? Polycystic kidney disease goes on and on and on … and not many people know about it.)
When the twins were born (over 50 years ago) into a household of six children, Mom went to help her sister, Aunt Mary Jane, with the new babies. Now my twin cousins are grown up with families of their own. Today I’m praying for Jim as he begins dialysis, of course. When I get sick of fundraising for a cure, I shake it off because we can’t quit.
I also looked to see who the Saint of the day is today. It’s St. Peter Claver, a Spanish Jesuit priest, who left Spain to minister to the inhumane treatment of slaves and to bring attention to the wrongness of it. His kindness, sense of what is right, and compassion toward others is beyond humbling.
St. Peter is a good saint to watch over my cousin, Jim, as he takes up his cross in the fight against polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Jim is a fireman and a great family man. I’m pretty sure, too, St. Peter will have a staff of lady angels named Mary Jane, Sister Mike, and Joan watching over Jim.