March 5, 2024 • 52 mins
When love and medicine intertwine, the result is nothing short of a miraculous tapestry woven by the hands of a devoted family. Today, we welcome back Blake, alongside his heroic parents Scott and Karen, and his supportive wife Terese, as we traverse their incredible journey through not one but two kidney transplants. As a child, Blake's health challenges were met with an immeasurable gift from his mother—a gift that years later his father would match. Their tale is a profound chronicle of sacrifice, hope, and the advancements in medical technology that have turned the tide in organ transplantation.
The heartbeat of our discussion pulsates with the strength of familial bonds. Karen and her husband reveal the contrasting experiences of their surgeries—one traditional, one laparoscopic—and the evolution of medical procedures that have shaped their family's story. We also step into the shoes of Terese, who shares the complexities of building a life with Blake.
As we turn the final pages of this chapter, the conversation shines a light on the relentless determination of a mother, the compassion of a spouse, and the survivor's spirit of a son. Karen's reflections on parenting through transplants, Therese's insights on embracing the unknown, and Blake's optimism for future medical breakthroughs like the UCLA Kidney Tolerance Program, all converge to offer a beacon of hope. This is more than just a podcast episode; it's a celebration of the human spirit, the unwavering power of love, and the remarkable courage that comes with facing life's most daunting challenges head-on. Join us as we bear witness to a family's testament to life, love, and the pursuit of health against all odds.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, I'm Coach Mickey and I'm so glad that you've
joined us and if this is yourfirst time joining us, come on
in and make yourself comfortable.
And for those of you that joinus on a regular basis, I am so
glad that you do.
And I really do appreciate thefact that many of you reach out
to all my guests and to mepersonally with your comments,
your questions and yoursuggestions with some of the
guests that we've had on, and Ireally, really am excited to
(00:24):
have Blake back, because many ofyou have reached out to me from
when we did the podcast a whileago with Blake in regards to
kidney transplants and theupcoming things that are
happening, and I'm reallytouched and honored that Blake's
family was willing to come onand be on this podcast to not
(00:47):
only share with me but to alsoshare with many of you what it's
like as a family, not only asthe person that is going through
what Blake has to go through,but how his family's had to go
through it and how it affectsand this is gonna be really
inspiring, so welcome.
Thank you so much for everybodyto be here.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, no, thank you for having us again.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah.
So, blake, I'm gonna start withyou.
I know I'm just gonna have yourecap real quick on what had
transpired, just to kind ofrefresh everybody.
Just a quick 30 second thing.
And then I'm gonna jump inbecause I really feel strongly
about knowing how this hasworked with you, between your
parents, and then also havingthe lovely wife that you have.
(01:34):
I mean, this is an everydaything that you have to address.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, no, I was born with bad kidneys and at age five
my mom donated her kidney to meand it got me throughout a less
since, which, from everything Iunderstand, that was pretty
much the goal.
It would have been nicer to golonger, but it got me throughout
(02:01):
a less since.
And then I received my secondkidney transplant at UCLA, and
that was I was 20, my daddonated his kidney to me at the
time and my kidney's been goingstrong pretty much strong, I
should say ever since.
There's been hiccups every oncein a while and different things
(02:23):
, and it didn't start out smooth, but yeah, it's been going well
and we just started doing thepodcast so we can get the UCLA's
Kidney Tolerance Program outthere so that people can hear
about that.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, and that's pretty exciting and hopefully we
can keep elaborating on thatand have you keep coming back to
fill us in on what'stranspiring.
I know that's something that'sgotten quite a few questions
about.
So I'm gonna start with you,scott, which is Blake's dad.
But first of all, having achild that needs a kidney.
(03:01):
I mean, what was that like withthis child as a parent when you
discovered this?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Gosh, that's a long answer, but I think part of it
and I'm looking to Karen fornods and input also.
It was kind of a processbecause when Blake's a twin and
so when they were born he washeld back in the hospital in
(03:30):
intensive care they actuallydiscovered he had a pleurisy on
his lung and so they wereconcerned about that.
They brought him.
You know he stayed back.
After running some tests theyfound there were problems with
the kidneys.
We didn't know exactly what itwas and I think when he was a
(03:51):
couple of weeks old I'm lookingto Karen for a nod we were
referred to and went to USC andthat's the first time we had met
Dr Opass and through testingand that's basically when we
found out that the kidneys wereinsufficient, certainly for his
(04:13):
lifetime.
I wanna say he had less than 15%kidney function at that point.
So I think that some of it wasprobably at that time it kind of
sunk in a little bit.
But there's just so much thatgoes on.
You know, having being newparents of twins, you know
(04:35):
having three others at home andjust the blur of doctors, it
took a little bit to sink inthat you know Blake had kidney
problems.
Gosh, I'm just trying to.
You know it was hard, but I'mnot sure.
(04:55):
Sometimes it kind of felt likeyou didn't have enough time to
slow down to really at leastearly on, to really even think
about it.
That much you just you had somuch to do, so many appointments
.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
That's so fun.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
It just seemed like there was,early on, different than you
know.
Four years, four and a halfyears later, you know, when
Blake had the first transplant,you were just kind of running on
adrenaline and getting thingsdone.
(05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Karen, if you wouldn't mind me asking.
I mean if you wouldn't mind.
I mean, first of all, as aparent.
You know I've got children onmy own.
But the thought of I mean youwould do anything for your
children, but for you as parents, you really had to go to
another whole extreme becauseboth of you donated kidneys, you
know, to your child.
So how you know, how did thathappen?
(05:56):
Because you have other childrenthat you were working with.
First of all, I want to say howremarkable you all are as a
family.
I mean this is this issomething that is very intense
and serious.
But also from the things I'mreading here that Blake sent me,
I can't wait to get into someof the fun stuff.
But but how was that for you,karen?
I mean, because that's that's alot to you know to do that.
(06:18):
What were your thoughts on that?
How were your feelings?
Speaker 4 (06:22):
I was kind of overwhelmed.
I had his twin sister, kara andhim.
In the first 10 days he was inhe was in the hospital.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
You hit some.
Well, she's crying because I'mher favorite child.
So it's not the hospital part,it's the favorite part.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Well, it's that I had to leave him at the hospital
because I had his sister andJake Kara, plus his siblings,
his other siblings we had threeothers, so it was just a lot to
process.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
He was going down, let's put it, in the first two,
three weeks and I had a lot ofsleep trying to.
I had a lot of sleep trying totake care of the twins, which
was new for us, and trying to,she was just physically kind of
going down.
So the first time, I guess onnot really a funny sense, but we
(07:30):
had to move Noel to a formulaand Karen had nursed the other
kids and so now, for the firsttime, I had the night feeding
duty with Noel.
So because it was just too muchfor Karen to try to manage all
(07:52):
that.
So, yeah, so I, she took careof everything and I just took
care of a little piece of Noel.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Yeah, I was very tired and I knew it when I
dressed Blake in a dress.
So I said I need some help here.
I'm very tired.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well, I don't know, karen.
I think that's pretty goodtrack record considering what
you were going through.
So you know what that was okay.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Well, the fact that I figured it out, that worked out
.
I didn't take him out of thehouse that way.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So I know this is such a difficult thing.
I can't even imagine, like Isaid, going through this and
Blake has been extraordinary,coming in and sharing his
journey and what's gone on, andthat's why I wanted to talk to
you as parents.
But I'm looking at some ofthese things, the stories that
Blake had sent me, and one ofthem he has on here was tell me
(08:58):
about McDonald's.
I guess apparently somethinghad happened with this, with
Dialysis, so I want to hear thisstory.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I think that's probably his, I'm assuming that
would be Dialysis would be hisgrandfather.
We, I mean it was challenging.
But then Blake, you know,rolled forward quite a bit of
(09:27):
time and before the transplant,blake then went on to
hemodialysis at Children's,which required it was, you know,
three-ish times, you know, twoand a half three-ish times a
week, every couple days.
So he had to drive, he had todrive into.
It was just a, you know, by thetime everything was done it was
(09:49):
probably a seven-hour-ish daybecause you'd have to drive down
there.
By the time you got there, bythe time they got Blake hooked
up, he'd be on Dialysis for acouple hours.
But it took, you know, 40minutes to an hour to get him
hooked up, 40 minutes to an hourto take, you know, to get him
off the equipment.
And so we were blessed, veryblessed, in that, you know, we
(10:12):
did have family that was able tohelp, and so Karen would take
him.
You know, many times I wouldtake him, but a number of times
my dad, blake's grandfather, whothey had a great relationship,
he would take Blake and when wejust, you know, karen needed
(10:36):
whatever it was.
Maybe there was something atschool that she needed to be
there for the other kids and Icouldn't get.
You know, it was a tough timefor me to get away at work, and
so my dad would take him.
Well, my dad would take himdown to McDonald's and they'd
eat french fries, which wasn'texactly.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
It was a Not on the no no for a.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Dialysis?
Yeah, not a Dialysis thing.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
But my dad, yeah you can't have that too much
potassium.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, so my dad would take him.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Yeah, I'm sure there's probably a lot of
dietary restrictions, especiallyfor what you're going through,
but I have to ask you if youwouldn't mind.
So I mean experiencing andbeing a kidney donor.
I mean, what was the influenceand the perspective like on your
life and family, and then youknow, and your health, because
these are all all things thathave to be taken into
(11:34):
consideration.
I mean, usually you go throughand you know, you have these
structured things that you do,but now you feel this other
element of having to be not onlywith a child that you have to
keep healthy, based on hiskidney function, but also
because both of you were kidneydonors.
So how did that affect yourperspective on your family?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
You know, I think.
And then Karen and I you knowwe're talking about this for us
kind of the overriding top.
You know how did we get througheverything all the time?
It was just our faith, ourfaith in the Lord and that he
was going to take care of us.
(12:20):
You know, a verse that came upfor us was in Philippians and be
anxious for nothing andeverything, prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving,take your request to the Lord
and that you know his peace,that was kind of the overriding
principle.
And then you just kind ofworked.
Everything else worked its wayout from that.
(12:40):
Whatever those difficultieswere managing dialysis for the
Blake, managing when you donatea kidney there is a pretty
extensive testing that you haveto go through for them to say,
yes, you can donate which.
You were first Basicallytesting everything and I was
(13:02):
actually when Blake was thatfirst transplant, I actually
went through all of the testingcompletely and that's a very
long story.
But through some things thatcame up they found that Karen I
mean literally like three monthsof testing that Karen may have
(13:27):
been a little better donor.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
That was a week before surgery.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Wow, that's not much time to prepare.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Yeah, that's a whole different issue and story.
And so then Karen went throughthe testing, but I don't think
for either of us that wasn't anissue you know Blake needed a
kidney.
It was more an issue of goingthrough the testing and are we,
you know, was our kidney goingto be a good, you know match for
(13:58):
Blake, and it was more lookingat that.
I don't know that either one ofus really spent a lot of time
on that.
It's what needed to be done.
And even prior to that, whilewe, while I was going through
the testing, blake was put on atransplant list and we actually
(14:19):
were called one time for a, youknow, with a cadaver donor and
it didn't work out.
But there's a long process, youknow, leading up to that.
And then, you know, donatingthe kidney.
You know, simple, they had toldus that you, as long as you're
(14:42):
healthy, as long as which is whythey do all of that testing
that you can, you know, liveperfectly fine with one kidney.
You know there was very fewthings that we had to modify in
our lifestyle to donate thatkidney.
Now, in fairness, I guess I cangive a quick snapshot of two
(15:08):
kidney transplants.
Or, you know, karen did thefirst one when Blake was five,
which we were just so blessed tohave the medical technology
there.
But Karen had the I guess youwould say early, more
traditional surgery where shewas, you know, incision from the
(15:31):
outside.
She has, I think, like a12-inch incision and was in the
hospital for a couple weeks andyou can imagine, opening
yourself up with a 12 to 14-inchincision Takes a pretty
significant recovery.
Then you roll, for which bothBlake and Karen harassed me
(15:52):
about now you roll forward 15years Blake's now 20, and I'm up
to bat per se to donate thekidney.
My surgery technology had comealong.
My surgery was a laparoscopicsurgery, so the entire removal
(16:15):
of the kidney, or at leastdetaching it per se, and, you
know, redoing all the vascularstructure.
All that was all donelaparoscopically and they just,
I just have a little like afour-inch incision that they
obviously have to get the kidneyout, and so that's all I had.
(16:36):
Karen was in the hospital, Ithink, for close to two weeks,
something like that.
I went in on Blake, I think, aThursday.
The surgery started like six inthe morning.
I was released at 12 o'clockthe following day.
(16:56):
So she has a 12 inch scar.
They just both harass me andsay I've got a wimpy scar.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Karen's got a warrior scar.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
I have a wimpy scar.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
So it's a long response to a simple question.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
You guys are both very amazing and I cannot even
imagine how it must have felt,especially as a husband and a
father, watching your wife andyour son both go into surgery
and then to turn it around anddo it the other way.
You know, karen, for you towatch your husband and your son
go into surgery, I mean, that'sthat in itself.
(17:40):
But you kind of covered that.
You said you're the hope andyour faith, and just having that
just, I think, sometimes iswhat we need to get us through
the most challenging times, youknow, when we really just don't
know what we're doing, what'sgoing to happen.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Yeah, you don't want to get me crying on that one.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
And.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
I would say, you know , yeah, that was our overriding
for ourselves and our family, noquestion about that.
Just not to say that therearen't still those difficult
things and challenges andanxiety and all that.
Blake, as you know, as you knowa little bit about Blake, he's
(18:21):
stubborn and that's a good thing.
He's very determined and youknow you could use whatever he
comes by.
That you know definitely fromhis mom and dad.
And letting I distinctlyremember, you know, dreading
that moment, walking Karen downthe hallway as they went to the
(18:42):
operating doors and letting goof her.
And it was one of those timeswhere really the Lord kind of
speaks to you.
And I'm not saying there wassome burning bush in the hallway
, but I was by myself at thatpoint, knowing that I've got to
get over to my son becauseBlake's surgery trailed Karen's
by about 40 minutes to an hour,but it was one of those.
(19:06):
Are you going to let go andtrust me and to take care of
them?
I provided amazing doctorswhich he had.
We were so blessed to have thesurgical team and Dr Opas
through the whole point of that.
And then just that piece ofbeing able to go and be with
Blake as he went into theoperating room.
(19:29):
But yeah, that's one of thosetough things to let go.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
That's kind of an understatement, but oh, I bet, I
mean I bet just anything thathas to do with your child, you
know, it just kind of hits theheart string.
So what you went through is awhirlwind of emotions,
especially with both of them,you know, going in at the same
time.
I want to skip ahead a littlebit because we're so lucky to
(19:57):
have on Therese Blake's wife,and this is something I got a
lot of questions, you know,after Blake did the podcast with
me and I can't tell you howmany of my we call them our
circle of friends.
You know our listeners, becauseI've got listeners all over the
world and so many people havefollowed your story, Blake and I
was, like I said, I'm soappreciative that everybody was
(20:19):
able to come on today to kind ofgive their insight.
But, Therese, I want to skipahead a little bit to you when
did you meet Blake and then howdid all this transpire?
When you found out about, youknow his situation?
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Yeah, so we met, long story short, we met online.
And I think I'm just trying tothink back a little bit.
You know, I had, like I hadwanted to be in a serious
relationship at the time.
(20:57):
So I had sort of asked my bestfriend at the time hey, like you
know, how do I ask this guy?
You know, if he's, you know, wego on a date and if it leads to
marriage, that it's somethingserious, if it doesn't, fine.
And so I sort of asked myfriend like what do you suggest?
I say, because I don't want tojust keep texting this guy who
I'm never going to meet or it'sjust, you know, nothing comes of
(21:19):
it.
So my friend had suggested well,just send him a text message
and tell him, do and ask him,say, like you know, I don't
really date around and if you'reinterested, I would like this
to be serious and potentially inmarriage.
So I wrote him and I saidexactly that and he wrote back
and he said I'm really glad yousaid that, because I'm
(21:40):
interested in marriage too.
And so then that was before wehad even met, and so that's sort
of how it all began.
And then he I think you know hehad shared with me over just
text message about his kidneyand then I don't remember the
(22:00):
exact conversation but I justwas sort of I you know, I didn't
, I didn't mind much at the time, it just was what it was.
But I think once we had gottenmarried because we didn't date
long once we had been married Ithink it was more difficult
because I think it was probablylike within within six months
(22:24):
after our big, you know, ourwedding day, or yeah, we had.
He had gotten, he had beenrequested to do chemotherapy
again.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yeah, there was three months.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
Just like a round of Rituxan for his chemotherapy,
which sort of helps when hiskidney disease flares up.
That sort of keeps it at bay,the chemotherapy.
So it's not that it's cancerous, they just use that as an
alternative method.
So so he had done that and thatwas really scary for me because
(23:00):
obviously the word chemotherapyand everyone you know has such
a reaction to it.
And then one time I had goneinto work, still I remember, and
I was just so tired andstressed, and then the, and then
I was in the other time Becausethe family had asked me.
Oh, you know, I told him, toldhim I think I need to leave
early because I have to pick myhusband up from Kaiser because
(23:22):
he's doing this, you know, allday infusion chemotherapy.
And they were like, oh my gosh,why didn't you share that with
us?
You should have taken the dayoff.
And you know, of course we werenewly wed so we needed the
money.
So but you know, I've, thelonger we've been married, I've
learned and we've had other, youknow, situations Health related
(23:43):
in our marriage.
I think that it sort of helpedme learn and just how to
navigate it, because I don'tthink I had a healthy
understanding either of just youknow health complications and
how to manage them.
You know I've growing up.
I was generally healthy stillam and no one in my family had
major health complications.
Everyone lived through theirnineties so it was very, very
(24:06):
all new to me.
Anything health related meantthat it was bad in my head.
So yeah, I've learned a lot,but it's been a lot of
processing and still, you know,has it's difficult times.
But you know you just have tomove forward with the
information you have and sort ofjust learn what you can do to
(24:28):
fix the problem at hand.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Now you have.
You have children and one ofthe questions that has been
brought up in Blake, I'm gladyou wrote this down to address
this how do your children handlesome of these health hurdles
that you have to go through?
You know, because this is likeis this an everyday thing or is
this something that just happens?
You know, you know it's goingto transpire like every two or
(24:52):
three months, and any otherTeresa Blake can answer that.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, I mean our kids .
I mean they had gone throughtheir fair share.
We've adopted them prior to usthen coming into our home.
So I'm pretty sure my medicalstuff doesn't even it pales in
comparison to what they havegone through.
But kind of how we?
(25:17):
I don't even know.
We never had a conversation.
It was just.
This is how things are.
My daughter, ashley, loves towatch me do my medication, in
terms of I have all mymedication out and I put them in
their boxes and that's.
It takes about an hour.
That's how much medicationthere is and she loves to watch
(25:38):
it and she doesn't touch themedicine, she just likes to see
because she's very interested inwow, why does that?
And we've talked about it asthey got older.
I can't speak to what, howthey're like when I'm doing
chemotherapy, but it's not evencalled chemo anymore.
It was originally.
Now it's just an infusion, butthe now we know, oh, every 13 to
(26:03):
15 months I will be gettingthis treatment done.
And the kids, I think they'rekind of just used to it.
They're oh, okay, dad's goingto go do that.
And I think in their brain iswell, dad can take care of
anything.
So we don't need to worry, butI know I have had other medical
(26:28):
things that have happened and Ihad to, you know, stay over the
night in the hospital and ourdaughter, Ashley was didn't
handle it very well.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
She was very, very worried, very concerned, very
empathetic.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
She was very concerned.
But just the regular everydaykidney stuff and the, the, the
Rataxan, they seem to be oh okay, whatever, but if something big
happens it's, that's out of theordinary.
That's when they kind of areyou know, oh, what's going on?
The, why is dad, what's goingon with that?
(26:59):
And get very because both ofthe kids are very empathetic and
they, they get worried and they, they get worried, especially
when you know times are off interms of wait, dad's not home at
night.
What's going on?
Or you know, I just I'm inschool and they're.
It's thrown them offconsiderably that I'm not home
(27:21):
in the in the morning and theafternoon anymore.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
So your whole life has probably changed.
I mean, then you throw childreninto the mix, you know, and
it's their everyday life, sothey see it and they understand
it and at least they're willingto be able to come to you and
ask the questions and see what'sgoing on and the fact that
you're in tune to what they'refeeling and what they're seeing.
(27:46):
You know that's gonna help themthrough the process.
I've talked to you multipletimes, blake, and we've had
opportunities, not only on therebut off there.
We've conversed and you know,and now you know you're telling
me, you've told me and now yourdad's saying you know that
you're stubborn, but I gotta ask, there's gotta be some times,
(28:06):
because you said, some of theseevents that you've been through
and some of these situations,one of the things I've
discovered is at least you'vekind of keep your sense of humor
through this.
So do you have a anybody have astory that they wanna share
that you've had to use as yoursafety net to get through this?
Speaker 2 (28:26):
I mean I like to play pranks on my nurses at any
given time, which is kind of I'm, you know, in school to be a
nurse, so I'm sure it's gonnaback at me at some point, but I
have no problem.
I've done Plasma Phoresis andI've played pranks on my nurses
(28:46):
and I've had nurses likeactually, okay, I'm not gonna be
, they don't like the pranks andI, you know, I find out later
and I, oh, I took it too far.
But for the most part I thinkthat most of my stubbornness and
my humor just comes from youcan't get like, you can't get
(29:09):
through this medical, all themedical stuff, without having
you know any anything funny.
Like you have to have a senseof humor.
My doctor when I was a kid, hethought they have to fill your
kidneys and liver and everything.
Well, he did it by tickling.
Well, I don't like tickling andI just grabbed his tie and
(29:30):
choked him and that was my, andso he learned quickly to throw
his tie or not have a tie onwith me.
Dr Opus learned that.
And Dr Danovich, great, great,he's amazing.
He sees me as probably more ofa son than anything at times.
I mean, I've been with him for21 years and he one time came in
(29:54):
and he kind of quickly tappedme on the face and he oh, that
was a patient.
And we both laughed.
I'm the tie, I didn't, hedoesn't it didn't.
We both laughed, it was not, itwas.
And he was like oh my goodness,I can't believe I did that.
And I was like it's fine, likewe have a lot of funny moments
(30:15):
like that.
But I know my parents, theybrought one up and I don't know,
I don't remember it, so I can'treally say this tell the story.
So I'll let them tell it ifthey want.
Oh, there's, there's bunches ofthem.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
I think one of the yeah, one of the one of the
things when I say stubborn,tough, whatever words you want
to use, god created him that wayis what's got him through this,
because so many of the many ofthe children that we saw over
the years became very oh, theykind of meld into the background
(30:54):
.
You could see them kind offeeling defeated, where Blake
was just like a littlefirecracker all the time.
But and that was you know, I'lltell that quick story on one
thing in the hospital.
But Blake came home from thehospital after his first
(31:17):
transplant and I think was itthat day or the next day,
something like that went out andlearned.
The kids were out in front andhe's rollerblading, which most
people would have had a heartattack.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
You never had done that before.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
But you know that was just Blake, I'm going to go
after it.
But he was in the hospital withthat first transplant and being
at children's hospital.
It's a teaching hospital, soyou have residents and by this
point, at the young age of fivewhich was a good thing Blake had
(31:53):
been poked, prodded, stuck allthe time and it become, even at
five years old, starting to ownor understand some of his
medical care.
So you know, he'd tell, youknow he'd had to give blood all
the time, so he would tell hisnurses you know, use such and
(32:14):
such size you know, butterflyneedle on.
You know, give him on the countof three or something.
Well, when he was in for histransplant, still in the
hospital, post-surgery, therewas a resident that came in and
Blake asked her, the doctor, tonot touch the incision, that
(32:39):
area, because they're wanting tolook around and see if they're
swelling.
But he said, you know,basically it said you need to
let me know.
Well, she ignored Blake and wealmost had two problems because
she went ahead and touched it,hurt, and Blake also has
reflexes that are kind of like.
You know, his reflexes arefaster than rattlesnakes.
(33:03):
Well, he popped her one.
So now you have a doctor that'sjust been punched by a
five-year-old.
But he had told her, he warnedher very clearly.
Well, that was the one thing.
But she decided it would be agood idea to kind of pop him
back.
That was not a good idea withmama close by.
(33:28):
You know now you look at itafterwards and everyone laughed
at it.
But that was just Blake, I'mgonna tell you, you're gonna
listen to me.
And it was reasonable for thethings that he asked and when
you didn't, he'd grab your tie,or you know, you heard him.
I sound very violent.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
But I'm not violent anymore.
I would never harm a doctor.
Oh he was.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
I just want to make that clear.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
At a five-year-old.
I just very different.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Well, yeah, I mean, I can understand that, I can
understand that.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Needless to say, that resident never called on him
again.
I guess she did, but Karen saidshe brought him a piece of
offering, a piece of pizza.
He probably steered the clearof mom.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Well, good for you.
I'm proud of you, karen, forstanding up.
I mean, I would do the samething if it was my kid.
I can't blame you on that, youdon't, you, don't, you don't you
hurt the cob.
Mama bear comes out, that'sjust the way it is.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Yeah, that makes me proud, that makes you a good mom
.
That's my job.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
So we got to know.
We got about three minutes towrap up, or so I'll give you a
little guys, a little bit more,but I'd like to hear from each
and every one of you Is theresomething you would like to to
share or say you know, either asa parent or as a wife, or what
you're going through, that forsomeone who may be going through
this, and just to give themsome kind of insight, I mean.
(35:04):
So I'm going to start with you,karen.
Is there something you'd liketo say as a mom?
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Oh, gosh, oh good, or crying again, yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Oh, just sweet, I just you know, you just I just
kind of went through it with,just you know, as I didn't, I
didn't really I didn't thinkabout it, I just had to, had to
(35:34):
do it, and so you know, but Idid.
I was very appreciative of,when we met Therese, that she
was willing to knowing thatsomeday they need another
transplant and did have healthproblems, that she was okay with
that.
And so you know, when it's yourkids, you want all the best for
(35:58):
them, and so she was an answerto prayer.
She definitely was.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
You know that she just For a lot of years.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
I mean we talked to her right at friend about you
know he had kidney transplant.
She goes well, so we could getmarried and three weeks later he
could have, you know, kidney.
We could find out he neededkidney transplant.
That just happened.
Speaker 5 (36:19):
So yeah, I remember Blake and I had that
conversation, sort of he waslike well, I mean I can get in a
car accident tomorrow, I can.
Anything can happen, you know.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Yeah, exactly so, and you know it just you know.
There's just all sorts ofemotions that you go through as
a parent from birth to you know36.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
You know something that I've wanted to share and I
think, karen, I talked aboutthis quickly because you said
you know what some advice you'dgive and really it was advice
that was given to us.
We were phenomenally blessedwith Blake's doctors, and first
(37:03):
being Dr O'Paths.
Sorry, but he gave us someadvice early on and we trusted
him and he earned that trustbecause it is your kid, he
earned that A caring, extremelycapable doctor, but he cared
(37:28):
about us, he cared about Blakeand that built our trust but he
had shared, I'd say anyone goingthrough that and it was a
confidence but not an arroganceby any stretch was really let me
take care of the physical partof Blake, all the things that
(37:49):
have to be done, you know,leading up to a transplant, you
know transplant, all thosethings.
I need you to take care ofBlake, which means I need you
and your wife together, becausehe sees lots of families that
this breaks them up.
I need Blake to lead a normalas possible life.
(38:10):
I can't fix those things, thoseemotional, mental things, and I
think we really we trusted him,so he did that and we did the
other.
And you know, and I would sayyou know, dr Danovich did a lot
of really the same things.
(38:31):
So that was when Blake wasolder and so that relationship
built.
But I think that that wasimportant.
We did everything we could tomake sure that Blake had as
normal a childhood as possible.
Obviously there were some youknow most children who went for
dialysis or transplants, butBlake waterski, blake backpacks,
(38:55):
blake was not allowed to playfootball, although he probably
would have wanted to.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
But I mean, that was a thing he tried hard.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Yeah, he did wrestle and he was a heck of a wrestler.
So anyway, we probably put theright limit.
Sorry for that.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
No, no, no, you're fine.
Actually, I want to go.
I want to actually have a giveyou quality time, because I
think what you have to offer isvery valuable and, like I said,
I've had so many people reachout to me to with a lot of these
questions and that you've beenso kind to address.
You know, as a family, asparents, but also as a family,
teres, what about you?
(39:32):
I mean, what's something I meanas a wife, as a mom?
I mean, how is that worked?
I'm going to finish up with you, blake, because I know we got
some kind of inspiring thingsthat are coming your way and I'd
like you to be able to finishoff with that.
But first, teres, how, what areyour thoughts?
I mean, what if you got to say,for insight for anybody that's
(39:54):
going through this Be nice, Iknow where you are right now.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
Wait what Be polite?
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Oh, I think, as I'm just thinking, I mean I feel
like it sounds cliche, but Ifeel like knowledge is power.
I think a lot of times you wantto close your eyes and, just,
you know, wish that the problemwasn't there.
But I think if you really leaninto it and just learn, you know
different ways of doing thingsor how to adjust your home life,
(40:28):
just giving yourself grace onthe day to day, that every day
might look different, and weprobably don't have much of a
structured household as otherfamilies do, just because we
don't know Like sometimes Blakehas a rough morning, a lot, you
know, and he's not feeling well,so he gets out of bed later, or
you know just so many differentthings.
(40:48):
So I think we've just learnedto sort of have realistic
expectations.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
I'm saying and so, blake, I'm going to wrap it up
with you.
I know you and I have talkedabout the Tolerance Program.
We know that is like cuttingedge.
It's got to be on its way.
I know you're just waiting forthat.
If you can share somethingabout that, you can share about
insight, whatever you feel isgoing to be the most beneficial
(41:17):
and that you can offer, I'mgoing to just let you have the
last five minutes to talk aboutwhatever you want to talk about.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
Okay, yeah, I would be remiss if I didn't tell one
quick story about my you know,going in to after surgery and
stuff my siblings.
They did a great job at comingin and seeing me and supporting
me, except one of my siblingsdid not support me so well
(41:48):
because she ran out probablycrying because she doesn't like
ET and they had a little red doton my finger that lit up and me
, being the youngest brother, Istill to this day will harass my
sister Donnell, and the onlyreason I'm telling this story is
because if she listens to thispodcast, she knows now everybody
(42:12):
knows she is not a fan of ET,but the Tolerance Program it is.
It really is.
I've had a lot of conversationswith UCLA over the last.
I mean again, I got a callrandomly on December 26 from Dr
Beal and it's snowed bald fairlyquickly into a podcast with
(42:35):
just myself and you, and then Ithought okay, and then we've
talked about other podcasts andnow we're doing this one and we
have you know, without givingtoo much away because we can't
yet I know that you and I haddiscussed and we are, we're
working on something big, areally really, really big event
(42:58):
that with obviously yourself,mickey and UCLA and other.
There's going to be a lot.
We have a great ideas, we havea great marketing team that Tres
and I are working with, andUCLA is working with us on a lot
of things.
But I think that just the factthat you know there is a program
(43:22):
that's out there that needsmore attention, that's exciting
to be a part of this, especially.
But as a someone that I never, Ialways say I'll take the
medicine, fine.
The biggest problem with themedication besides the side
(43:44):
effects and we just Tres and Ihave met someone recently that
her father-in-law passed awayand he got a kidney transplant
and 10 years later he passedaway with cancer that was caused
by the immune suppressant drugsand I mean that's something you
don't think about.
It's also one of those.
(44:04):
Well, I got it.
I have to take them.
Either I do that or I'm ondialysis until I can't do that
anymore.
So I always was like, oh, Ihave to take them.
But there's also the other sideof the coin is, sometimes you
forget to take your medicine, soyou always have to.
I always have a box in the car,whether it's my truck or my car
(44:25):
, and I have one and built allmy binders so if I go to school
and I forget I have it, it'splanning things out and that's
just part of getting used tobeing a kidney transplant
patient or any transplantpatient that's on a drug regimen
.
But I am excited.
I think the tolerance programis going to bring it can and I
(44:47):
truly believe it will bring alot of amazing things, not just
in the kidney world.
I think once the program isfinally approved and insurance
companies, and I think it canbecome the gold standard.
Dr Veal and I have talked aboutthat.
This is what UCLA, this is whatDr Veal's desire is to make
(45:13):
this the gold standard of.
You get your kidney, you gettolerance and you won't need to
get on the immune system.
You'll need to get your bloodpressure and drugs because
you'll have the tolerance.
That has been again thegentleman who did the first
kidney transplant with theidentical twins.
(45:35):
He said the next big frontieris tolerance at his Nobel Prize
speech and I think that's whatwe're seeing is kind of the next
big frontier being tackled interms of tolerance.
I truly do believe it willchange medicine and I know
there's also other things thatare being researched for kidneys
(45:59):
and but I think tolerance isthe most practical.
I also think it's the most thatcan become readily available
with little controversy, wherethe other ones are a little more
controversial.
But yeah, I truly am excited tosee what we have down the road
as we continue to do morepodcasts and we have this event
(46:21):
that will be kind of slowlytalking about every once in a
while, getting people's interest, and I truly believe that, if
we can, that UCLA is on tosomething and what we're doing
here can really help out, and itreally just comes down to
getting the information out,getting people that are family
(46:44):
members or have had the kidneytransplant to call UCLA and it's
on their website.
You call and you just you askabout tolerance and you see if
you're a candidate.
I mean, that's the biggestthing anyone can do right now is
just if you need, you'reinterested in the tolerance
(47:05):
program or whether it's I wantto help, I want to donate money,
whatever it may be.
Call UCLA's tolerance program.
It's on UCLA's website.
Just put in Kidney ToleranceProgram and it'll pop right up
and you call and they'll kind ofguide you from there and Mags,
who is probably the one you'llget a hold of, she's, I'm pretty
(47:27):
sure, secretly running thewhole thing, but she's amazing.
Like I said last time, she's DrReel's right hand and she truly
is one of the best people I'vemet at UCLA in a long time.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
Well, I want to thank you so much.
I want to thank everybody forbeing here and sharing your
stories and your insight and Iknow this is not an everyday
conversation that most peoplehave, but I do know there's
other people out there that aregoing through this same
situation and to hear it from afull family unit, including your
(48:02):
wife, terese to see that thereis hope and you can go on and
live a normal life and do theseincredible things and have a
family, I think this is reallyimportant and probably very
inspiring to quite a few of thepeople that have reached out to
me, so I want to thank you allfor that.
I'm going to embed the link toUCLA down in the podcast so
(48:22):
everybody can reach out to that,and I know you and I will be
talking more, blake, as we go onthis journey, and I really,
really hope and I pray every daythat you are going to see this
light at the end of the tunnelwith this tolerance program
within your lifetime, to be ableto have you be part of this,
(48:43):
because I know what you've beenthrough and how important this
is, not only for you but forother people, and Karen and
Scott.
I want to thank you so much.
I mean you're extraordinaryparents, extraordinary.
And yeah, I mean, karen, wearthat tattoo, wear the scar.
I was going to say it's like atattoo, it's like a battle it is
what do you think about it?
(49:03):
I mean it is, it's like a Vikingscar, but it is.
I mean it says something aboutyou and makes you one of a kind,
and that scar, I guess, is likethat.
It's the same thing.
And in both of you and Scott,thank you so much I mean coming
as a perspective, as a dad.
I mean that really is.
(49:25):
I mean as a dad and a husband.
So, thank you again for beingon and Trice, thank you.
You are an extraordinary person.
I mean we've had an opportunityto connect in multiple ways,
but hearing your side of thestory, too, is definitely
lighting and inspiring.
You guys are incredible.
Thank you so much.
I wish all of you the best youknow, with an abundance of
(49:48):
health, whatever you do.
So thank you so much, thank youso much.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
All right, you guys.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
Well, thank you, oh, you're welcome.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
Thank you for taking your time.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
You're welcome, are you guys?
Thank you so much for beingwith us.
I will look forward to seeingyou again.
Please, please, please, reachout.
If you know anybody that wouldneed to hear this podcast or has
any questions, I'm going to putthe links in for UCLA, you know
.
If you needed to help anybody,or even for yourself, I'm sure
Blake will be back with me again.
We're in touch quite often, soif there's anything or any
(50:20):
questions you have, feel free tocontact me.
I'll be more than happy to passthat on to him or any other
information that you may need.
But until then, remember, themost courageous thing you can do
is be yourself, and until ournext podcast, see ya.
Hey, I'm Coach Mickey and I'm so glad that you've
joined us and if this is yourfirst time joining us, come on
in and make yourself comfortable.
And for those of you that joinus on a regular basis, I am so
glad that you do.
And I really do appreciate thefact that many of you reach out
to all my guests and to mepersonally with your comments,
your questions and yoursuggestions with some of the
guests that we've had on, and Ireally, really am excited to
(00:24):
have Blake back, because many ofyou have reached out to me from
when we did the podcast a whileago with Blake in regards to
kidney transplants and theupcoming things that are
happening, and I'm reallytouched and honored that Blake's
family was willing to come onand be on this podcast to not
(00:47):
only share with me but to alsoshare with many of you what it's
like as a family, not only asthe person that is going through
what Blake has to go through,but how his family's had to go
through it and how it affectsand this is gonna be really
inspiring, so welcome.
Thank you so much for everybodyto be here.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah, no, thank you for having us again.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah.
So, blake, I'm gonna start withyou.
I know I'm just gonna have yourecap real quick on what had
transpired, just to kind ofrefresh everybody.
Just a quick 30 second thing.
And then I'm gonna jump inbecause I really feel strongly
about knowing how this hasworked with you, between your
parents, and then also havingthe lovely wife that you have.
(01:34):
I mean, this is an everydaything that you have to address.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, no, I was born with bad kidneys and at age five
my mom donated her kidney to meand it got me throughout a less
since, which, from everything Iunderstand, that was pretty
much the goal.
It would have been nicer to golonger, but it got me throughout
(02:01):
a less since.
And then I received my secondkidney transplant at UCLA, and
that was I was 20, my daddonated his kidney to me at the
time and my kidney's been goingstrong pretty much strong, I
should say ever since.
There's been hiccups every oncein a while and different things
(02:23):
, and it didn't start out smooth, but yeah, it's been going well
and we just started doing thepodcast so we can get the UCLA's
Kidney Tolerance Program outthere so that people can hear
about that.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, and that's pretty exciting and hopefully we
can keep elaborating on thatand have you keep coming back to
fill us in on what'stranspiring.
I know that's something that'sgotten quite a few questions
about.
So I'm gonna start with you,scott, which is Blake's dad.
But first of all, having achild that needs a kidney.
(03:01):
I mean, what was that like withthis child as a parent when you
discovered this?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Gosh, that's a long answer, but I think part of it
and I'm looking to Karen fornods and input also.
It was kind of a processbecause when Blake's a twin and
so when they were born he washeld back in the hospital in
(03:30):
intensive care they actuallydiscovered he had a pleurisy on
his lung and so they wereconcerned about that.
They brought him.
You know he stayed back.
After running some tests theyfound there were problems with
the kidneys.
We didn't know exactly what itwas and I think when he was a
(03:51):
couple of weeks old I'm lookingto Karen for a nod we were
referred to and went to USC andthat's the first time we had met
Dr Opass and through testingand that's basically when we
found out that the kidneys wereinsufficient, certainly for his
(04:13):
lifetime.
I wanna say he had less than 15%kidney function at that point.
So I think that some of it wasprobably at that time it kind of
sunk in a little bit.
But there's just so much thatgoes on.
You know, having being newparents of twins, you know
(04:35):
having three others at home andjust the blur of doctors, it
took a little bit to sink inthat you know Blake had kidney
problems.
Gosh, I'm just trying to.
You know it was hard, but I'mnot sure.
(04:55):
Sometimes it kind of felt likeyou didn't have enough time to
slow down to really at leastearly on, to really even think
about it.
That much you just you had somuch to do, so many appointments
.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
That's so fun.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
It just seemed like there was,early on, different than you
know.
Four years, four and a halfyears later, you know, when
Blake had the first transplant,you were just kind of running on
adrenaline and getting thingsdone.
(05:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Karen, if you wouldn't mind me asking.
I mean if you wouldn't mind.
I mean, first of all, as aparent.
You know I've got children onmy own.
But the thought of I mean youwould do anything for your
children, but for you as parents, you really had to go to
another whole extreme becauseboth of you donated kidneys, you
know, to your child.
So how you know, how did thathappen?
(05:56):
Because you have other childrenthat you were working with.
First of all, I want to say howremarkable you all are as a
family.
I mean this is this issomething that is very intense
and serious.
But also from the things I'mreading here that Blake sent me,
I can't wait to get into someof the fun stuff.
But but how was that for you,karen?
I mean, because that's that's alot to you know to do that.
(06:18):
What were your thoughts on that?
How were your feelings?
Speaker 4 (06:22):
I was kind of overwhelmed.
I had his twin sister, kara andhim.
In the first 10 days he was inhe was in the hospital.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
You hit some.
Well, she's crying because I'mher favorite child.
So it's not the hospital part,it's the favorite part.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Well, it's that I had to leave him at the hospital
because I had his sister andJake Kara, plus his siblings,
his other siblings we had threeothers, so it was just a lot to
process.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
He was going down, let's put it, in the first two,
three weeks and I had a lot ofsleep trying to.
I had a lot of sleep trying totake care of the twins, which
was new for us, and trying to,she was just physically kind of
going down.
So the first time, I guess onnot really a funny sense, but we
(07:30):
had to move Noel to a formulaand Karen had nursed the other
kids and so now, for the firsttime, I had the night feeding
duty with Noel.
So because it was just too muchfor Karen to try to manage all
(07:52):
that.
So, yeah, so I, she took careof everything and I just took
care of a little piece of Noel.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Yeah, I was very tired and I knew it when I
dressed Blake in a dress.
So I said I need some help here.
I'm very tired.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well, I don't know, karen.
I think that's pretty goodtrack record considering what
you were going through.
So you know what that was okay.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Well, the fact that I figured it out, that worked out
.
I didn't take him out of thehouse that way.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
So I know this is such a difficult thing.
I can't even imagine, like Isaid, going through this and
Blake has been extraordinary,coming in and sharing his
journey and what's gone on, andthat's why I wanted to talk to
you as parents.
But I'm looking at some ofthese things, the stories that
Blake had sent me, and one ofthem he has on here was tell me
(08:58):
about McDonald's.
I guess apparently somethinghad happened with this, with
Dialysis, so I want to hear thisstory.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I think that's probably his, I'm assuming that
would be Dialysis would be hisgrandfather.
We, I mean it was challenging.
But then Blake, you know,rolled forward quite a bit of
(09:27):
time and before the transplant,blake then went on to
hemodialysis at Children's,which required it was, you know,
three-ish times, you know, twoand a half three-ish times a
week, every couple days.
So he had to drive, he had todrive into.
It was just a, you know, by thetime everything was done it was
(09:49):
probably a seven-hour-ish daybecause you'd have to drive down
there.
By the time you got there, bythe time they got Blake hooked
up, he'd be on Dialysis for acouple hours.
But it took, you know, 40minutes to an hour to get him
hooked up, 40 minutes to an hourto take, you know, to get him
off the equipment.
And so we were blessed, veryblessed, in that, you know, we
(10:12):
did have family that was able tohelp, and so Karen would take
him.
You know, many times I wouldtake him, but a number of times
my dad, blake's grandfather, whothey had a great relationship,
he would take Blake and when wejust, you know, karen needed
(10:36):
whatever it was.
Maybe there was something atschool that she needed to be
there for the other kids and Icouldn't get.
You know, it was a tough timefor me to get away at work, and
so my dad would take him.
Well, my dad would take himdown to McDonald's and they'd
eat french fries, which wasn'texactly.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
It was a Not on the no no for a.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Dialysis?
Yeah, not a Dialysis thing.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
But my dad, yeah you can't have that too much
potassium.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, so my dad would take him.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Yeah, I'm sure there's probably a lot of
dietary restrictions, especiallyfor what you're going through,
but I have to ask you if youwouldn't mind.
So I mean experiencing andbeing a kidney donor.
I mean, what was the influenceand the perspective like on your
life and family, and then youknow, and your health, because
these are all all things thathave to be taken into
(11:34):
consideration.
I mean, usually you go throughand you know, you have these
structured things that you do,but now you feel this other
element of having to be not onlywith a child that you have to
keep healthy, based on hiskidney function, but also
because both of you were kidneydonors.
So how did that affect yourperspective on your family?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
You know, I think.
And then Karen and I you knowwe're talking about this for us
kind of the overriding top.
You know how did we get througheverything all the time?
It was just our faith, ourfaith in the Lord and that he
was going to take care of us.
(12:20):
You know, a verse that came upfor us was in Philippians and be
anxious for nothing andeverything, prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving,take your request to the Lord
and that you know his peace,that was kind of the overriding
principle.
And then you just kind ofworked.
Everything else worked its wayout from that.
(12:40):
Whatever those difficultieswere managing dialysis for the
Blake, managing when you donatea kidney there is a pretty
extensive testing that you haveto go through for them to say,
yes, you can donate which.
You were first Basicallytesting everything and I was
(13:02):
actually when Blake was thatfirst transplant, I actually
went through all of the testingcompletely and that's a very
long story.
But through some things thatcame up they found that Karen I
mean literally like three monthsof testing that Karen may have
(13:27):
been a little better donor.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
That was a week before surgery.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Wow, that's not much time to prepare.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Yeah, that's a whole different issue and story.
And so then Karen went throughthe testing, but I don't think
for either of us that wasn't anissue you know Blake needed a
kidney.
It was more an issue of goingthrough the testing and are we,
you know, was our kidney goingto be a good, you know match for
(13:58):
Blake, and it was more lookingat that.
I don't know that either one ofus really spent a lot of time
on that.
It's what needed to be done.
And even prior to that, whilewe, while I was going through
the testing, blake was put on atransplant list and we actually
(14:19):
were called one time for a, youknow, with a cadaver donor and
it didn't work out.
But there's a long process, youknow, leading up to that.
And then, you know, donatingthe kidney.
You know, simple, they had toldus that you, as long as you're
(14:42):
healthy, as long as which is whythey do all of that testing
that you can, you know, liveperfectly fine with one kidney.
You know there was very fewthings that we had to modify in
our lifestyle to donate thatkidney.
Now, in fairness, I guess I cangive a quick snapshot of two
(15:08):
kidney transplants.
Or, you know, karen did thefirst one when Blake was five,
which we were just so blessed tohave the medical technology
there.
But Karen had the I guess youwould say early, more
traditional surgery where shewas, you know, incision from the
(15:31):
outside.
She has, I think, like a12-inch incision and was in the
hospital for a couple weeks andyou can imagine, opening
yourself up with a 12 to 14-inchincision Takes a pretty
significant recovery.
Then you roll, for which bothBlake and Karen harassed me
(15:52):
about now you roll forward 15years Blake's now 20, and I'm up
to bat per se to donate thekidney.
My surgery technology had comealong.
My surgery was a laparoscopicsurgery, so the entire removal
(16:15):
of the kidney, or at leastdetaching it per se, and, you
know, redoing all the vascularstructure.
All that was all donelaparoscopically and they just,
I just have a little like afour-inch incision that they
obviously have to get the kidneyout, and so that's all I had.
(16:36):
Karen was in the hospital, Ithink, for close to two weeks,
something like that.
I went in on Blake, I think, aThursday.
The surgery started like six inthe morning.
I was released at 12 o'clockthe following day.
(16:56):
So she has a 12 inch scar.
They just both harass me andsay I've got a wimpy scar.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Karen's got a warrior scar.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
I have a wimpy scar.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
So it's a long response to a simple question.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
You guys are both very amazing and I cannot even
imagine how it must have felt,especially as a husband and a
father, watching your wife andyour son both go into surgery
and then to turn it around anddo it the other way.
You know, karen, for you towatch your husband and your son
go into surgery, I mean, that'sthat in itself.
(17:40):
But you kind of covered that.
You said you're the hope andyour faith, and just having that
just, I think, sometimes iswhat we need to get us through
the most challenging times, youknow, when we really just don't
know what we're doing, what'sgoing to happen.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Yeah, you don't want to get me crying on that one.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
And.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
I would say, you know , yeah, that was our overriding
for ourselves and our family, noquestion about that.
Just not to say that therearen't still those difficult
things and challenges andanxiety and all that.
Blake, as you know, as you knowa little bit about Blake, he's
(18:21):
stubborn and that's a good thing.
He's very determined and youknow you could use whatever he
comes by.
That you know definitely fromhis mom and dad.
And letting I distinctlyremember, you know, dreading
that moment, walking Karen downthe hallway as they went to the
(18:42):
operating doors and letting goof her.
And it was one of those timeswhere really the Lord kind of
speaks to you.
And I'm not saying there wassome burning bush in the hallway
, but I was by myself at thatpoint, knowing that I've got to
get over to my son becauseBlake's surgery trailed Karen's
by about 40 minutes to an hour,but it was one of those.
(19:06):
Are you going to let go andtrust me and to take care of
them?
I provided amazing doctorswhich he had.
We were so blessed to have thesurgical team and Dr Opas
through the whole point of that.
And then just that piece ofbeing able to go and be with
Blake as he went into theoperating room.
(19:29):
But yeah, that's one of thosetough things to let go.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
That's kind of an understatement, but oh, I bet, I
mean I bet just anything thathas to do with your child, you
know, it just kind of hits theheart string.
So what you went through is awhirlwind of emotions,
especially with both of them,you know, going in at the same
time.
I want to skip ahead a littlebit because we're so lucky to
(19:57):
have on Therese Blake's wife,and this is something I got a
lot of questions, you know,after Blake did the podcast with
me and I can't tell you howmany of my we call them our
circle of friends.
You know our listeners, becauseI've got listeners all over the
world and so many people havefollowed your story, Blake and I
was, like I said, I'm soappreciative that everybody was
(20:19):
able to come on today to kind ofgive their insight.
But, Therese, I want to skipahead a little bit to you when
did you meet Blake and then howdid all this transpire?
When you found out about, youknow his situation?
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Yeah, so we met, long story short, we met online.
And I think I'm just trying tothink back a little bit.
You know, I had, like I hadwanted to be in a serious
relationship at the time.
(20:57):
So I had sort of asked my bestfriend at the time hey, like you
know, how do I ask this guy?
You know, if he's, you know, wego on a date and if it leads to
marriage, that it's somethingserious, if it doesn't, fine.
And so I sort of asked myfriend like what do you suggest?
I say, because I don't want tojust keep texting this guy who
I'm never going to meet or it'sjust, you know, nothing comes of
(21:19):
it.
So my friend had suggested well,just send him a text message
and tell him, do and ask him,say, like you know, I don't
really date around and if you'reinterested, I would like this
to be serious and potentially inmarriage.
So I wrote him and I saidexactly that and he wrote back
and he said I'm really glad yousaid that, because I'm
(21:40):
interested in marriage too.
And so then that was before wehad even met, and so that's sort
of how it all began.
And then he I think you know hehad shared with me over just
text message about his kidneyand then I don't remember the
(22:00):
exact conversation but I justwas sort of I you know, I didn't
, I didn't mind much at the time, it just was what it was.
But I think once we had gottenmarried because we didn't date
long once we had been married Ithink it was more difficult
because I think it was probablylike within within six months
(22:24):
after our big, you know, ourwedding day, or yeah, we had.
He had gotten, he had beenrequested to do chemotherapy
again.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Yeah, there was three months.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
Just like a round of Rituxan for his chemotherapy,
which sort of helps when hiskidney disease flares up.
That sort of keeps it at bay,the chemotherapy.
So it's not that it's cancerous, they just use that as an
alternative method.
So so he had done that and thatwas really scary for me because
(23:00):
obviously the word chemotherapyand everyone you know has such
a reaction to it.
And then one time I had goneinto work, still I remember, and
I was just so tired andstressed, and then the, and then
I was in the other time Becausethe family had asked me.
Oh, you know, I told him, toldhim I think I need to leave
early because I have to pick myhusband up from Kaiser because
(23:22):
he's doing this, you know, allday infusion chemotherapy.
And they were like, oh my gosh,why didn't you share that with
us?
You should have taken the dayoff.
And you know, of course we werenewly wed so we needed the
money.
So but you know, I've, thelonger we've been married, I've
learned and we've had other, youknow, situations Health related
(23:43):
in our marriage.
I think that it sort of helpedme learn and just how to
navigate it, because I don'tthink I had a healthy
understanding either of just youknow health complications and
how to manage them.
You know I've growing up.
I was generally healthy stillam and no one in my family had
major health complications.
Everyone lived through theirnineties so it was very, very
(24:06):
all new to me.
Anything health related meantthat it was bad in my head.
So yeah, I've learned a lot,but it's been a lot of
processing and still, you know,has it's difficult times.
But you know you just have tomove forward with the
information you have and sort ofjust learn what you can do to
(24:28):
fix the problem at hand.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Now you have.
You have children and one ofthe questions that has been
brought up in Blake, I'm gladyou wrote this down to address
this how do your children handlesome of these health hurdles
that you have to go through?
You know, because this is likeis this an everyday thing or is
this something that just happens?
You know, you know it's goingto transpire like every two or
(24:52):
three months, and any otherTeresa Blake can answer that.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, I mean our kids .
I mean they had gone throughtheir fair share.
We've adopted them prior to usthen coming into our home.
So I'm pretty sure my medicalstuff doesn't even it pales in
comparison to what they havegone through.
But kind of how we?
(25:17):
I don't even know.
We never had a conversation.
It was just.
This is how things are.
My daughter, ashley, loves towatch me do my medication, in
terms of I have all mymedication out and I put them in
their boxes and that's.
It takes about an hour.
That's how much medicationthere is and she loves to watch
(25:38):
it and she doesn't touch themedicine, she just likes to see
because she's very interested inwow, why does that?
And we've talked about it asthey got older.
I can't speak to what, howthey're like when I'm doing
chemotherapy, but it's not evencalled chemo anymore.
It was originally.
Now it's just an infusion, butthe now we know, oh, every 13 to
(26:03):
15 months I will be gettingthis treatment done.
And the kids, I think they'rekind of just used to it.
They're oh, okay, dad's goingto go do that.
And I think in their brain iswell, dad can take care of
anything.
So we don't need to worry, butI know I have had other medical
(26:28):
things that have happened and Ihad to, you know, stay over the
night in the hospital and ourdaughter, Ashley was didn't
handle it very well.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
She was very, very worried, very concerned, very
empathetic.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
She was very concerned.
But just the regular everydaykidney stuff and the, the, the
Rataxan, they seem to be oh okay, whatever, but if something big
happens it's, that's out of theordinary.
That's when they kind of areyou know, oh, what's going on?
The, why is dad, what's goingon with that?
(26:59):
And get very because both ofthe kids are very empathetic and
they, they get worried and they, they get worried, especially
when you know times are off interms of wait, dad's not home at
night.
What's going on?
Or you know, I just I'm inschool and they're.
It's thrown them offconsiderably that I'm not home
(27:21):
in the in the morning and theafternoon anymore.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
So your whole life has probably changed.
I mean, then you throw childreninto the mix, you know, and
it's their everyday life, sothey see it and they understand
it and at least they're willingto be able to come to you and
ask the questions and see what'sgoing on and the fact that
you're in tune to what they'refeeling and what they're seeing.
(27:46):
You know that's gonna help themthrough the process.
I've talked to you multipletimes, blake, and we've had
opportunities, not only on therebut off there.
We've conversed and you know,and now you know you're telling
me, you've told me and now yourdad's saying you know that
you're stubborn, but I gotta ask, there's gotta be some times,
(28:06):
because you said, some of theseevents that you've been through
and some of these situations,one of the things I've
discovered is at least you'vekind of keep your sense of humor
through this.
So do you have a anybody have astory that they wanna share
that you've had to use as yoursafety net to get through this?
Speaker 2 (28:26):
I mean I like to play pranks on my nurses at any
given time, which is kind of I'm, you know, in school to be a
nurse, so I'm sure it's gonnaback at me at some point, but I
have no problem.
I've done Plasma Phoresis andI've played pranks on my nurses
(28:46):
and I've had nurses likeactually, okay, I'm not gonna be
, they don't like the pranks andI, you know, I find out later
and I, oh, I took it too far.
But for the most part I thinkthat most of my stubbornness and
my humor just comes from youcan't get like, you can't get
(29:09):
through this medical, all themedical stuff, without having
you know any anything funny.
Like you have to have a senseof humor.
My doctor when I was a kid, hethought they have to fill your
kidneys and liver and everything.
Well, he did it by tickling.
Well, I don't like tickling andI just grabbed his tie and
(29:30):
choked him and that was my, andso he learned quickly to throw
his tie or not have a tie onwith me.
Dr Opus learned that.
And Dr Danovich, great, great,he's amazing.
He sees me as probably more ofa son than anything at times.
I mean, I've been with him for21 years and he one time came in
(29:54):
and he kind of quickly tappedme on the face and he oh, that
was a patient.
And we both laughed.
I'm the tie, I didn't, hedoesn't it didn't.
We both laughed, it was not, itwas.
And he was like oh my goodness,I can't believe I did that.
And I was like it's fine, likewe have a lot of funny moments
(30:15):
like that.
But I know my parents, theybrought one up and I don't know,
I don't remember it, so I can'treally say this tell the story.
So I'll let them tell it ifthey want.
Oh, there's, there's bunches ofthem.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
I think one of the yeah, one of the one of the
things when I say stubborn,tough, whatever words you want
to use, god created him that wayis what's got him through this,
because so many of the many ofthe children that we saw over
the years became very oh, theykind of meld into the background
(30:54):
.
You could see them kind offeeling defeated, where Blake
was just like a littlefirecracker all the time.
But and that was you know, I'lltell that quick story on one
thing in the hospital.
But Blake came home from thehospital after his first
(31:17):
transplant and I think was itthat day or the next day,
something like that went out andlearned.
The kids were out in front andhe's rollerblading, which most
people would have had a heartattack.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
You never had done that before.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
But you know that was just Blake, I'm going to go
after it.
But he was in the hospital withthat first transplant and being
at children's hospital.
It's a teaching hospital, soyou have residents and by this
point, at the young age of fivewhich was a good thing Blake had
(31:53):
been poked, prodded, stuck allthe time and it become, even at
five years old, starting to ownor understand some of his
medical care.
So you know, he'd tell, youknow he'd had to give blood all
the time, so he would tell hisnurses you know, use such and
(32:14):
such size you know, butterflyneedle on.
You know, give him on the countof three or something.
Well, when he was in for histransplant, still in the
hospital, post-surgery, therewas a resident that came in and
Blake asked her, the doctor, tonot touch the incision, that
(32:39):
area, because they're wanting tolook around and see if they're
swelling.
But he said, you know,basically it said you need to
let me know.
Well, she ignored Blake and wealmost had two problems because
she went ahead and touched it,hurt, and Blake also has
reflexes that are kind of like.
You know, his reflexes arefaster than rattlesnakes.
(33:03):
Well, he popped her one.
So now you have a doctor that'sjust been punched by a
five-year-old.
But he had told her, he warnedher very clearly.
Well, that was the one thing.
But she decided it would be agood idea to kind of pop him
back.
That was not a good idea withmama close by.
(33:28):
You know now you look at itafterwards and everyone laughed
at it.
But that was just Blake, I'mgonna tell you, you're gonna
listen to me.
And it was reasonable for thethings that he asked and when
you didn't, he'd grab your tie,or you know, you heard him.
I sound very violent.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
But I'm not violent anymore.
I would never harm a doctor.
Oh he was.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
I just want to make that clear.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
At a five-year-old.
I just very different.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Well, yeah, I mean, I can understand that, I can
understand that.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Needless to say, that resident never called on him
again.
I guess she did, but Karen saidshe brought him a piece of
offering, a piece of pizza.
He probably steered the clearof mom.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Well, good for you.
I'm proud of you, karen, forstanding up.
I mean, I would do the samething if it was my kid.
I can't blame you on that, youdon't, you, don't, you don't you
hurt the cob.
Mama bear comes out, that'sjust the way it is.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
Yeah, that makes me proud, that makes you a good mom
.
That's my job.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
So we got to know.
We got about three minutes towrap up, or so I'll give you a
little guys, a little bit more,but I'd like to hear from each
and every one of you Is theresomething you would like to to
share or say you know, either asa parent or as a wife, or what
you're going through, that forsomeone who may be going through
this, and just to give themsome kind of insight, I mean.
(35:04):
So I'm going to start with you,karen.
Is there something you'd liketo say as a mom?
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Oh, gosh, oh good, or crying again, yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Oh, just sweet, I just you know, you just I just
kind of went through it with,just you know, as I didn't, I
didn't really I didn't thinkabout it, I just had to, had to
(35:34):
do it, and so you know, but Idid.
I was very appreciative of,when we met Therese, that she
was willing to knowing thatsomeday they need another
transplant and did have healthproblems, that she was okay with
that.
And so you know, when it's yourkids, you want all the best for
(35:58):
them, and so she was an answerto prayer.
She definitely was.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
You know that she just For a lot of years.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
I mean we talked to her right at friend about you
know he had kidney transplant.
She goes well, so we could getmarried and three weeks later he
could have, you know, kidney.
We could find out he neededkidney transplant.
That just happened.
Speaker 5 (36:19):
So yeah, I remember Blake and I had that
conversation, sort of he waslike well, I mean I can get in a
car accident tomorrow, I can.
Anything can happen, you know.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
Yeah, exactly so, and you know it just you know.
There's just all sorts ofemotions that you go through as
a parent from birth to you know36.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
You know something that I've wanted to share and I
think, karen, I talked aboutthis quickly because you said
you know what some advice you'dgive and really it was advice
that was given to us.
We were phenomenally blessedwith Blake's doctors, and first
(37:03):
being Dr O'Paths.
Sorry, but he gave us someadvice early on and we trusted
him and he earned that trustbecause it is your kid, he
earned that A caring, extremelycapable doctor, but he cared
(37:28):
about us, he cared about Blakeand that built our trust but he
had shared, I'd say anyone goingthrough that and it was a
confidence but not an arroganceby any stretch was really let me
take care of the physical partof Blake, all the things that
(37:49):
have to be done, you know,leading up to a transplant, you
know transplant, all thosethings.
I need you to take care ofBlake, which means I need you
and your wife together, becausehe sees lots of families that
this breaks them up.
I need Blake to lead a normalas possible life.
(38:10):
I can't fix those things, thoseemotional, mental things, and I
think we really we trusted him,so he did that and we did the
other.
And you know, and I would sayyou know, dr Danovich did a lot
of really the same things.
(38:31):
So that was when Blake wasolder and so that relationship
built.
But I think that that wasimportant.
We did everything we could tomake sure that Blake had as
normal a childhood as possible.
Obviously there were some youknow most children who went for
dialysis or transplants, butBlake waterski, blake backpacks,
(38:55):
blake was not allowed to playfootball, although he probably
would have wanted to.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
But I mean, that was a thing he tried hard.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Yeah, he did wrestle and he was a heck of a wrestler.
So anyway, we probably put theright limit.
Sorry for that.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
No, no, no, you're fine.
Actually, I want to go.
I want to actually have a giveyou quality time, because I
think what you have to offer isvery valuable and, like I said,
I've had so many people reachout to me to with a lot of these
questions and that you've beenso kind to address.
You know, as a family, asparents, but also as a family,
teres, what about you?
(39:32):
I mean, what's something I meanas a wife, as a mom?
I mean, how is that worked?
I'm going to finish up with you, blake, because I know we got
some kind of inspiring thingsthat are coming your way and I'd
like you to be able to finishoff with that.
But first, teres, how, what areyour thoughts?
I mean, what if you got to say,for insight for anybody that's
(39:54):
going through this Be nice, Iknow where you are right now.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
Wait what Be polite?
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Oh, I think, as I'm just thinking, I mean I feel
like it sounds cliche, but Ifeel like knowledge is power.
I think a lot of times you wantto close your eyes and, just,
you know, wish that the problemwasn't there.
But I think if you really leaninto it and just learn, you know
different ways of doing thingsor how to adjust your home life,
(40:28):
just giving yourself grace onthe day to day, that every day
might look different, and weprobably don't have much of a
structured household as otherfamilies do, just because we
don't know Like sometimes Blakehas a rough morning, a lot, you
know, and he's not feeling well,so he gets out of bed later, or
you know just so many differentthings.
(40:48):
So I think we've just learnedto sort of have realistic
expectations.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
I'm saying and so, blake, I'm going to wrap it up
with you.
I know you and I have talkedabout the Tolerance Program.
We know that is like cuttingedge.
It's got to be on its way.
I know you're just waiting forthat.
If you can share somethingabout that, you can share about
insight, whatever you feel isgoing to be the most beneficial
(41:17):
and that you can offer, I'mgoing to just let you have the
last five minutes to talk aboutwhatever you want to talk about.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
Okay, yeah, I would be remiss if I didn't tell one
quick story about my you know,going in to after surgery and
stuff my siblings.
They did a great job at comingin and seeing me and supporting
me, except one of my siblingsdid not support me so well
(41:48):
because she ran out probablycrying because she doesn't like
ET and they had a little red doton my finger that lit up and me
, being the youngest brother, Istill to this day will harass my
sister Donnell, and the onlyreason I'm telling this story is
because if she listens to thispodcast, she knows now everybody
(42:12):
knows she is not a fan of ET,but the Tolerance Program it is.
It really is.
I've had a lot of conversationswith UCLA over the last.
I mean again, I got a callrandomly on December 26 from Dr
Beal and it's snowed bald fairlyquickly into a podcast with
(42:35):
just myself and you, and then Ithought okay, and then we've
talked about other podcasts andnow we're doing this one and we
have you know, without givingtoo much away because we can't
yet I know that you and I haddiscussed and we are, we're
working on something big, areally really, really big event
(42:58):
that with obviously yourself,mickey and UCLA and other.
There's going to be a lot.
We have a great ideas, we havea great marketing team that Tres
and I are working with, andUCLA is working with us on a lot
of things.
But I think that just the factthat you know there is a program
(43:22):
that's out there that needsmore attention, that's exciting
to be a part of this, especially.
But as a someone that I never, Ialways say I'll take the
medicine, fine.
The biggest problem with themedication besides the side
(43:44):
effects and we just Tres and Ihave met someone recently that
her father-in-law passed awayand he got a kidney transplant
and 10 years later he passedaway with cancer that was caused
by the immune suppressant drugsand I mean that's something you
don't think about.
It's also one of those.
(44:04):
Well, I got it.
I have to take them.
Either I do that or I'm ondialysis until I can't do that
anymore.
So I always was like, oh, Ihave to take them.
But there's also the other sideof the coin is, sometimes you
forget to take your medicine, soyou always have to.
I always have a box in the car,whether it's my truck or my car
(44:25):
, and I have one and built allmy binders so if I go to school
and I forget I have it, it'splanning things out and that's
just part of getting used tobeing a kidney transplant
patient or any transplantpatient that's on a drug regimen
.
But I am excited.
I think the tolerance programis going to bring it can and I
(44:47):
truly believe it will bring alot of amazing things, not just
in the kidney world.
I think once the program isfinally approved and insurance
companies, and I think it canbecome the gold standard.
Dr Veal and I have talked aboutthat.
This is what UCLA, this is whatDr Veal's desire is to make
(45:13):
this the gold standard of.
You get your kidney, you gettolerance and you won't need to
get on the immune system.
You'll need to get your bloodpressure and drugs because
you'll have the tolerance.
That has been again thegentleman who did the first
kidney transplant with theidentical twins.
(45:35):
He said the next big frontieris tolerance at his Nobel Prize
speech and I think that's whatwe're seeing is kind of the next
big frontier being tackled interms of tolerance.
I truly do believe it willchange medicine and I know
there's also other things thatare being researched for kidneys
(45:59):
and but I think tolerance isthe most practical.
I also think it's the most thatcan become readily available
with little controversy, wherethe other ones are a little more
controversial.
But yeah, I truly am excited tosee what we have down the road
as we continue to do morepodcasts and we have this event
(46:21):
that will be kind of slowlytalking about every once in a
while, getting people's interest, and I truly believe that, if
we can, that UCLA is on tosomething and what we're doing
here can really help out, and itreally just comes down to
getting the information out,getting people that are family
(46:44):
members or have had the kidneytransplant to call UCLA and it's
on their website.
You call and you just you askabout tolerance and you see if
you're a candidate.
I mean, that's the biggestthing anyone can do right now is
just if you need, you'reinterested in the tolerance
(47:05):
program or whether it's I wantto help, I want to donate money,
whatever it may be.
Call UCLA's tolerance program.
It's on UCLA's website.
Just put in Kidney ToleranceProgram and it'll pop right up
and you call and they'll kind ofguide you from there and Mags,
who is probably the one you'llget a hold of, she's, I'm pretty
(47:27):
sure, secretly running thewhole thing, but she's amazing.
Like I said last time, she's DrReel's right hand and she truly
is one of the best people I'vemet at UCLA in a long time.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
Well, I want to thank you so much.
I want to thank everybody forbeing here and sharing your
stories and your insight and Iknow this is not an everyday
conversation that most peoplehave, but I do know there's
other people out there that aregoing through this same
situation and to hear it from afull family unit, including your
(48:02):
wife, terese to see that thereis hope and you can go on and
live a normal life and do theseincredible things and have a
family, I think this is reallyimportant and probably very
inspiring to quite a few of thepeople that have reached out to
me, so I want to thank you allfor that.
I'm going to embed the link toUCLA down in the podcast so
(48:22):
everybody can reach out to that,and I know you and I will be
talking more, blake, as we go onthis journey, and I really,
really hope and I pray every daythat you are going to see this
light at the end of the tunnelwith this tolerance program
within your lifetime, to be ableto have you be part of this,
(48:43):
because I know what you've beenthrough and how important this
is, not only for you but forother people, and Karen and
Scott.
I want to thank you so much.
I mean you're extraordinaryparents, extraordinary.
And yeah, I mean, karen, wearthat tattoo, wear the scar.
I was going to say it's like atattoo, it's like a battle it is
what do you think about it?
(49:03):
I mean it is, it's like a Vikingscar, but it is.
I mean it says something aboutyou and makes you one of a kind,
and that scar, I guess, is likethat.
It's the same thing.
And in both of you and Scott,thank you so much I mean coming
as a perspective, as a dad.
I mean that really is.
(49:25):
I mean as a dad and a husband.
So, thank you again for beingon and Trice, thank you.
You are an extraordinary person.
I mean we've had an opportunityto connect in multiple ways,
but hearing your side of thestory, too, is definitely
lighting and inspiring.
You guys are incredible.
Thank you so much.
I wish all of you the best youknow, with an abundance of
(49:48):
health, whatever you do.
So thank you so much, thank youso much.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
All right, you guys.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
Well, thank you, oh, you're welcome.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
Thank you for taking your time.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
You're welcome, are you guys?
Thank you so much for beingwith us.
I will look forward to seeingyou again.
Please, please, please, reachout.
If you know anybody that wouldneed to hear this podcast or has
any questions, I'm going to putthe links in for UCLA, you know
.
If you needed to help anybody,or even for yourself, I'm sure
Blake will be back with me again.
We're in touch quite often, soif there's anything or any
(50:20):
questions you have, feel free tocontact me.
I'll be more than happy to passthat on to him or any other
information that you may need.
But until then, remember, themost courageous thing you can do
is be yourself, and until ournext podcast, see ya.
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