Updates: The Gift of Life

Original Story:

PW – December 2013 Issue

MC – December 2013 Issue

Update:

A year ago, Postcards interviewed two sisters who had just been through an amazing experience.  Due to a rare illness, Alison Hyde had received a kidney from her older sister, Kim Hyde McMillan.  What makes their story unique is that the girls’ parents, Peter and Eileen Hyde, had adopted both girls, so they were not blood-related.  Add the twist that Alison was born in and adopted from Romania, and you can see how amazing the story really is.

We checked in with the sisters for an update and got good news!  Both ladies are doing really well.  According to Kim, Alison has had no signs of rejection whatsoever. In fact, she has been able to steadily decrease her anti-rejection medicine.  Alison is currently attending college and her proud sister noted, “Getting all A’s and B’s.”  Alison is working on her basics and is planning to do something in the healthcare field, possibly nursing or becoming an ultrasound technician.

Kim, who is a full time nurse, just celebrated her ten year anniversary at Huntsville Memorial Hospital.  She said she is doing great, with no long-term issues at all.  When asked about how this experience has changed their relationship, Kim said, “We were always close, but not super close, simply because of our age difference. This experience has grown us so much closer.  We appreciate and value each other now more than ever before, because we know what we had to go through.  Every day is precious.  One thing I think about a lot is that many people go through life not knowing what their God-given purpose is, but I do know what God meant for me to do.  He wanted me to be here to save Alison’s life.”