This is a story you simply must hear.
Amy Taylor is fierce.
She was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease at just 2 years old. She was strong, but in 2004 her health took a down turn and she was placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Her doctors tried to preserve her kidneys as long as they could, but finally in 2008 her kidneys failed. For the next five years, Amy spent 12 hours a week connected to a dialysis machine. It kept her alive, but spending three days each week hooked up to a machine is no way to live.
During those tough days, Amy would head to Disneyland. At 5am she went to dialysis, and at 9:30am she left dialysis and went to the happiest place on earth. She says "I walked through those gates and forgot I was sick, forgot that I had band aids over where the needles were placed to clean my blood and remove fluids that my kidneys no longer did. I was a normal adult at Disneyland."
That's where Amy met her Dooney and Bourke bag. It was love at first sight. "I had to have it! It was just me!" she told me. I know how that is! Really, you don't choose the right bag. It chooses you. And this was absolutely the right one for Amy. "It means the world to me. I love Mickey shaped balloons, and now I can carry 'balloons' everywhere!"
This story has a happy ending. On May 5th, 2013, while Amy was celebrating orthodox Christian Easter with her entire family, the call she had been waiting for came through. She was going to have a kidney transplant. Now Amy spends her time spreading the word about kidney disease, failure dialysis and transplants.
So what's Amy's advice for dealing with the rough stuff life throws at you? "Don't let it rule you. You rule it. Don't let it bring you down."
Of her own illness, Amy says, "I was grateful that I had an option of dialysis. People waiting for other organ transplants often die waiting because they don't have an option other than transplant."
Ready to help? We can make a difference! Amy is participating in the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Walk at Disneyland! She's walking to help support sick kids in the hospital - she of all people knows how hard it is for a kid to be stuck in a hospital room. This is an incredible cause. I donated and I would love for you to join me: Donate to Amy's CHOC Walk here.
The Dooney and Bourke Balloon Mickey Mouse Satchel is hard to find, but Magical Ears Collectibles has a few for $269.95 if you (like me) simply must have one.
Do you have a bag that means something extra special? I'd love to hear about it, please post in the comments!
