By THEA RUTHERFORD, FN Features Editor

thea@nasguard.com

Returning home: The Stuarts returned home disappointed but re-focused. Life was not over, they realized, and dialysis was still an option. Taking the advice of nephrologist, Dr. Ilsa Taylor, Mrs Stuart remembers the family's pointed decision to live life to the utmost.

"I said you know what, we're going to start living again because for two years practically, our lives were consumed with finding out about this illness and trying to get the surgery."

The family leapt back into their usual vacation schedule. They resumed their annual family vacations to Disney World and Caribbean cruises, and they enjoyed them. While the cruises required a lot of planning ahead, the family did what was needed, ensuring that there would be a place for Mr Stuart to be dialysed on entering each port.

"We did it the next time, it worked. We did it the next time, it worked," says Mrs Stuart. While she admits that the trips were a risk with the need for Mr Stuart to be dialysed at certain times, relieving the stress of the illness by continuing life as usual was worth it. "The important thing I think when you're going through any illness is not to put your life on hold. Just continue to live," says Mrs Stuart.

The Call: It wasn't long before Mr Stuart got another opportunity to receive a donated kidney. The phone rang, piercing the silence of the early morning and the routine of life as usual.

Unbeknownst to him, Mrs Stuart had placed her husband on an organ transplant list after he was unable to receive a kidney from his son back in 2001. Having already completed the required tests as a part of his regimen anyway, there was nothing extra to do. Mrs Stuart says her husband didn't realise that he was on the list. Yet as a non- US citizen with a rare blood type, he was not likely to be anywhere near the top of the list of more than 5,000 people waiting for organs that grew every 13 minutes, with the addition of another potential recipient. Placing his name there anyway, Mrs Stuart knew that there was nothing to lose. Four years later, a single phone call meant a newer beginning than anything Mr Stuart could have expected so soon. It was like the movies. The family got the call at 8:00 on the morning of December 13. They were at the hospital in Miami by 11:00.

We didn't even have any clothes, Megan remembers laughingly.

Mr. Stuart was scheduled to have surgery in the following day. His wife and daughter spent the night in a hotel across the street while he slept at the hospital. It was the best night's sleep that he had had in years. The thought of surgery the next day was like a soothing lullaby for the family who had spent years waiting for this day.

"I slept so well that night I lost track of time," he says. When he went to bed, his wife was there and when he woke up after the surgery, she was there.

"She was always there with me," says Mr. Stuart proudly of his wife. Within the time of the average work day, Mr. Stuart had a new kidney. His sister, Rejoina Martin, joined the family the day after they arrived to take care of him after surgery. Mr. Stuart spent a little more than two months recuperating abroad.

"Faith (in God) kept us going," says Mrs. Stuart of the entire ordeal.

Home again

Mr. Stuart returned home on March 6 to the ceremonial welcome of a head of state.

"It was a total surprise," he says of the grand welcome that the police reservists had arranged for him under the department head, ASP John Curtis.

"I was just expecting my wife and Megan there... and I looked out the window and saw all these police caps."

Mr. Stuart's children, grandchildren, siblings and colleagues in the reserves greeted him at the airport the evening that he came home. He and his family were given a police escort home for a new reception that continued the wonderful welcome.

"Everything was arranged by the police reserves," Mrs. Stuart beams.

Mr. Stuart can drink whatever he wants now. In fact he has to have at least three litres of fluid each day, and "it's the hardest thing," he smiles. For years he had fantasized about drinking as much as he wanted whenever he wanted while he was on dialysis.

Now he has to literally force himself to drink the new minimum liquid requirement.

And he'll be on anti-rejection pills for the rest of his life to keep his new kidney. Every day he has to take two pills twice per day on time to ensure that his body does not reject the kidney. As time passes,the strength of the pills will be reduced. But most

of all it's good to be home.

While the name of the anonymous donor whose kidney saved his life is just a phone call away, the phone

call is on that Mr. Stuart would rather not make. At least not now anyway. Mrs. Stuart says that she will

respect his decision, "for now," she smiles.

As for Megan, who through most of her father's illness was too young to fully understand everything that was going on around her, just having daddy back safe without the threat of sudden death hanging over him is more than she could have asked for.

"I just love seeing him smile again because he has such a beautiful smile," says the 10th grader.