The most romantic time in my life was when my boyfriend first told me he loved me. We had just spent a great day together and I just knew those words would be coming soon. In a panic, I sat down and began my story to him. He had known I had a kidney transplant the previous year, but we never really talked about what that meant for us. I began telling him about the surgery, the risks of me needing another kidney in the future and the possibility that I may never have children.

We were 25 and 27 years old, and I needed him to understand that some things that “normal people” do may not be a possible for me. I let it all out, not leaving out a thing until I knew he fully understood the complexity of loving a person like me. In my mind I was giving him a way out if my situation was more than he could handle.

He sat, stone faced through my rant. When I finished, I waited for him to speak. He smiled and laughed a little. It made me so mad! Then he pulled me onto his lap, wrapped his arms around me, kissed my forehead and said, “I am glad you told me all of this”, “But I need you to know none of that stuff matters to me.” “If you were never sick before we met and you ended up getting kidney failure after we were married, I would stand by you, so don’t you ever think for one minute that I won’t stand by you now, and forever.” “The thought of you going through all that alone makes me sick. I just wished I would have met you 3 years ago so I could have gone through it with you.” “I love you Becky, now, then, always, forever”.

I couldn’t speak, I just sat there and cried. One year later he proposed and we were married September 24th 2005. My health has been great, and we are working with doctors to have our first baby. He has been there for me everyday since we met.