I currently live in Hawaii. The most common question that I am asked when I meet someone new is, where did you come from? My answer is everywhere and nowhere. This is confusing until I explain the circumstances. I was born a military brat. My dad was in the Air Force.
We packed up and moved every four years, so I have lived in many locations. Some people think that is a disadvantage, they brag about having roots in one location for generations, but I loved the military life. So much so that I followed in my dad’s footsteps. I enlisted in the Air Force.
I started my Air Force career as a missile maintenance tech in Wyoming. My job was to ensure the readiness of our nuclear missiles. Since they are well maintained, I had a lot of free time on my hands. I got a second job as a substitute teacher. That was a fun job and even though I loved the military life, I did not enjoy the work I was doing. Then an opportunity arose. The Air Force needed more flight engineers. I signed up and was transferred to California.
As a flight engineer on the C-141, I flew around the world. It even took me to the Middle East during the Gulf War. We flew ammunition to forward airstrips and medevac’d the casualties to safety. It is the best job the Air Force has to offer, and I was one of the lucky ones. Unfortunately, that luck ran out with modernization. My airplane, the C-141, was phased out and replaced with the C-17. A plane that requires no flight engineer.
I separated from the military to pursue my other dream job. I became a high school math teacher. I have no kids of my own, but I considered the 120 students I got every year as mine. After retiring I moved to Hawaii and took up hobbies to keep busy. I became a treasure hunter swinging a metal detector on the beaches and finding many wonderful items.
I had to give that up when I developed kidney failure, because it was too exhausting. Before it ended, I managed to find over 400 rings. I was able to return the very last ring I found to its original owner, a high school student from Florida. It was her class ring, and it made it back to her just two days before her graduation. I really miss being on the beaches swinging that detector!
In November of 2022, I was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure and have been on dialysis ever since. I am able to manage my own care with home dialysis. While it does take up a good portion of the day, my time is not wasted. I became an author and wrote and published a novel called Aree and the Holy Gail. It is a story about a treasure hunt and since I can’t physically do the hunting, I did it mentally!
I am currently living on the Big Island of Hawaii with my sister, but I am moving to Oahu to be closer to the transplant center. When the call comes with news that there is a kidney waiting for me, I want to be ready.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Charles’s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611