Laura Christina’s Story
Laura Warren is one of the kindest, gentlest women I know.
She has an extraordinary ability to look for the good—in people, in difficult circumstances, and in life itself. She gives people grace. She tries to understand before she judges. Even through some of the hardest experiences of her own life, she has held tightly to the belief that there is still goodness to be found and goodness to be done.
For 45 years, Laura was married to her best friend, Marion. They weren’t simply husband and wife; they were truly each other’s person.
When he died, Laura described losing “my heart, my rock, my best friend, and the love of my life.”
Those of us who loved her worried about how someone so soft-hearted and so deeply attached to him could possibly rebuild a life without him.
And then Laura surprised us.
Somewhere inside that gentle woman was an incredible amount of fight.
Laura poured herself into helping other people and into volunteer work. Her faith and spiritual beliefs, which have guided her throughout her life, became an even greater source of strength. Rather than keeping what helped her survive her grief to herself, Laura wanted to share that hope with anyone she thought it might help.
Only a few years after losing her husband, Laura experienced another profound loss when her mother died. Laura had devoted an enormous amount of herself to helping care for her.
Their relationship had not always been an easy one. But that is part of what makes Laura who she is. She has a remarkable capacity for compassion, forgiveness, and understanding. She learned to see the whole person, even when doing so wasn’t easy.
To me, true strength isn’t allowing unfortunate circumstances to harden you.
Sometimes strength is remaining soft while moving through hardship—continuing to choose compassion, understanding and hope instead of allowing painful experiences to define you.
That is the kind of strength Laura embodies.
Why We’re Asking for Help
Now Laura is facing another fight.
Her kidney function has fallen to approximately 11%, and she needs a kidney transplant.
But Laura hasn’t given up. Not even close.
She is doing everything within her power to care for herself and remain as strong as possible. She stays physically active, pays careful attention to her nutrition, and works hard to support her health and protect the kidney function she still has.
That’s Laura.
When life gives her something frightening or difficult, she asks what she can do. She focuses on what remains within her control, and she does it.
There is fear in something this serious—of course there is. But fear is rarely what Laura chooses to focus on.
She talks about hope. She looks for the positive after every new setback. She leans on her faith, her family, her friends and her community, and she continues to find reasons to smile.
Even while dealing with serious health problems and uncertainty about her future, Laura notices every kindness shown to her. She appreciates people. She says thank you. Whatever strength she has on a given day, she still tries to use some of it to do something good.
What More Time Would Mean
Laura means more than she could possibly know to the people who love her.
She is a beloved sister and aunt, and she is deeply loved by her niece, nephew and great-niece.
Her family doesn’t all live nearby, and something remarkable has happened as Laura has become sicker: her community has stepped forward.
Friends and people whose lives Laura has touched have surrounded her with practical help, encouragement, companionship and love.
To us, that’s a testament not only to the generosity of her community, but to the kind of relationships Laura has spent a lifetime building.
Laura has spent years giving kindness, hope and care to other people.
Now that love is coming back to her.
But there is one thing her family and friends cannot give her ourselves:
a kidney.
A transplant could give Laura something extraordinarily precious:
MORE TIME.
More time with the family who isn’t ready to lose her.
More time with the friends and community who love her.
More time to volunteer.
More time to laugh.
More time to practice her faith and help other people.
More time to simply live the life she is fighting so hard to keep living.
Laura is fighting for that time.
We’re hoping someone might be willing to help give it to her.