Many of you may know that I have struggled with my health all of my life. That battle includes facing sickle cell anemia and kidney disease head-on. Like many who live with a debilitating illness, I power through each day, no matter the pain to provide for my family and to serve the people of Senate District 13. Some days are good and some are bad. I do not get to decide which day I am dealt.
Recently, I was blessed to receive a kidney transplant. I have been on the transplant list for one day too many. Like the hundreds of thousands of individuals who are on the list, I have woken up each day waiting for the call that a matched organ was available. Receiving an organ is greater than winning the lottery. According to the UC Davis Health Transplant Center, the chance of finding an exact match with an unrelated donor is about one in 100,000. And on top of that, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, African-Americans make up the largest group of minorities in need of an organ transplant.
Organ donation can save lives. I am living proof. Please consider becoming an organ donor. You can register at www.DonateLifeTexas.org; you never know whose life you are going to save.
My family and I are incredibly excited about this transplant, but I know the road to recovery will be long and difficult. But I don’t quit and I don’t back down. There is so much more I want to do, and one of those things is to continue serving you. My recovery will cause my absence in the community, but rest assured that my team will continue fighting for you. My district offices will stay open, and my staff will continue attending community meetings, working on your constituent issues, meeting with stakeholders on legislation and more. We just finished hosting my fifth job fair since becoming a state senator. This job fair served the North Forest community in Northeast Houston. Like many predominantly African-American neighborhoods, this is where opportunities may be thin, but the people are unfazed and unbroken. I am proud to bring events like these directly to the people and give them a fair shot at getting a job.
God is good, and I am eternally grateful for this blessing that I have been granted. Every breath is a gift, and I never take one for granted. Thank you to everyone for your love, support and prayers. Thank you to the doctors and the healthcare professionals who oversaw my transplant.
Keep the Faith, Keep the Fight!
