Chicken Soup for the Soul: NASCAR
BY: Amy Clipston
After a year of suffering on dialysis, my husband, Joe, underwent his first kidney transplant at the age of 32.
When the transplant date was set in stone, I set out to find something special to give him as a get-well gift. Since both of us are diehard NASCAR fans, I considered purchasing a special addition for our collection. However, I wanted something more personal than just another die-cast car or T-shirt.
On a whim, I e-mailed our favorite NASCAR drivers' fan clubs, asking them to send Joe something -- a note, a card, or even an e-mail -- encouraging him to get well after his surgery.
Within a week, a large manila envelope arrived from Kernersville, North Carolina. I gasped when I read the name on the return address -- KHI. Kevin Harvick Incorporated!
Bursting with excitement, I tore the envelope open and pulled out an oversized postcard featuring the famous No. 29 Chevrolet and its driver, with a personalized note saying, "Get Well Soon. Kevin Harvick."
My heart swelled with awe, appreciation, and joy. I had expected a form letter from the fan club wishing my husband well, and instead I had received a personalized note from the superstar driver. The sentiment meant more than words could express. It was a dream come true!
Impatient by nature, I yearned to give the postcard to my husband immediately. However, I knew it would be a treasured gift for him after the transplant. I shared the card with family members, swearing them to secrecy. Then I hid it, planning to present it to Joe when he arrived home from the hospital.
On March 29, 2004, Joe received a kidney from his younger brother, Jason. The procedure went as expected, and within hours of the surgery, the kidney was working and Joe's skin tone transformed from a yellowish hue to a warm pink. It was a miracle! Joe was going to start a new life, free of dialysis.
Jason struggled with the painkillers during the first 24 hours of his recovery. However, Joe's recovery began in a typical fashion until three days later, when he hit a roadblock. He had contracted a staph infection during surgery.
What transpired next was worse than the transplant.
Joe endured a more painful surgery than the transplant. After the procedure, his mood became glummer due to lack of relief from the excruciating pain.
To make matters worse, we were informed that he couldn't go home when he'd originally planned. More than anything, Joe wanted to continue his recovery in our bed, surrounded by our family, including our 3-year-old son, our spoiled rotten cats, and me.
When I heard the news that Joe wasn't coming home for at least another week, I knew I needed to do something to cheer him up. Before I left for the hospital that day, I grabbed the large manila envelope containing the precious postcard.
Upon my arrival at the hospital, I found Joe propped up in a chair, frowning. His eyes reflected the depression that had settled into his soul due to his pain level, and not being able to pack up and come home with me. I pulled the envelope from my bag and handed it to him, telling him it was a special surprise.
I'll never forget his expression when he pulled out that card. Not only did his eyes widen in shock, but they also filled with tears.
Joe asked me how on earth I'd gotten Kevin Harvick to send him a card, and I grinned, stating that I owed it all to Kevin's wife, DeLana, since I'd e-mailed her, along with Kevin's webmaster and fan club president. I explained my plan to find him a very special get-well gift and that Kevin took the gift to the next level -- a precious treasure we'd always cherish.
Shaking his head, Joe was stunned and overwhelmed. He couldn't believe someone as famous as Kevin Harvick would take the time to send him a card. Holding that card in his hand gave Joe a renewed sense of hope that everything would be OK.
The staph infection lengthened Joe's hospital stay by 10 days and added a team of infectious disease doctors to the white coats marching in and out of his room.
Joe's recovery at home was also extended due to the infection. An in-home care nurse tended to his incision for several weeks, and he was unable to work for a few months. However, he made a full recovery. With his new kidney, he was strong and healthy.
Joe was back to his old self, and we enjoyed traveling to many NASCAR races. We frequented Dover International Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. Our admiration for Kevin Harvick grew, and his signed postcard hung framed with our collection of NASCAR die-casts.
Our lives have changed since Joe received his kidney from his brother in 2004. We welcomed a second baby boy into our family in March 2005, and we moved from Virginia to North Carolina in 2006. The postcard from Kevin Harvick is still framed and displayed in a place of honor between two of our NASCAR die-cast collectible cases in our boys' playroom.
In 2008, we discovered that Joe's transplanted kidney had failed. His health deteriorated quickly, and he is back on dialysis and awaiting a second transplant.
While our lives took an unexpected turn with Joe's health, I do know one thing for sure -- there are special people in this world, like Kevin Harvick, who will go that extra mile and take a few minutes to brighten someone's day.
Each time I see Kevin Harvick in an interview on television, on the Internet, or in a magazine, I smile and remember how his simple postcard took my husband from dark, suffocating despair to a bright glimmer of hope. Someday I'll get a chance to meet him and thank him for giving my husband hope during one of the darkest moments of his life.
Until that day comes, I'll continue to root for Kevin from afar.
When the transplant date was set in stone, I set out to find something special to give him as a get-well gift. Since both of us are diehard NASCAR fans, I considered purchasing a special addition for our collection. However, I wanted something more personal than just another die-cast car or T-shirt.
On a whim, I e-mailed our favorite NASCAR drivers' fan clubs, asking them to send Joe something -- a note, a card, or even an e-mail -- encouraging him to get well after his surgery.
Within a week, a large manila envelope arrived from Kernersville, North Carolina. I gasped when I read the name on the return address -- KHI. Kevin Harvick Incorporated!
Bursting with excitement, I tore the envelope open and pulled out an oversized postcard featuring the famous No. 29 Chevrolet and its driver, with a personalized note saying, "Get Well Soon. Kevin Harvick."
My heart swelled with awe, appreciation, and joy. I had expected a form letter from the fan club wishing my husband well, and instead I had received a personalized note from the superstar driver. The sentiment meant more than words could express. It was a dream come true!
Impatient by nature, I yearned to give the postcard to my husband immediately. However, I knew it would be a treasured gift for him after the transplant. I shared the card with family members, swearing them to secrecy. Then I hid it, planning to present it to Joe when he arrived home from the hospital.
On March 29, 2004, Joe received a kidney from his younger brother, Jason. The procedure went as expected, and within hours of the surgery, the kidney was working and Joe's skin tone transformed from a yellowish hue to a warm pink. It was a miracle! Joe was going to start a new life, free of dialysis.
Jason struggled with the painkillers during the first 24 hours of his recovery. However, Joe's recovery began in a typical fashion until three days later, when he hit a roadblock. He had contracted a staph infection during surgery.
What transpired next was worse than the transplant.
Joe endured a more painful surgery than the transplant. After the procedure, his mood became glummer due to lack of relief from the excruciating pain.
To make matters worse, we were informed that he couldn't go home when he'd originally planned. More than anything, Joe wanted to continue his recovery in our bed, surrounded by our family, including our 3-year-old son, our spoiled rotten cats, and me.
When I heard the news that Joe wasn't coming home for at least another week, I knew I needed to do something to cheer him up. Before I left for the hospital that day, I grabbed the large manila envelope containing the precious postcard.
Upon my arrival at the hospital, I found Joe propped up in a chair, frowning. His eyes reflected the depression that had settled into his soul due to his pain level, and not being able to pack up and come home with me. I pulled the envelope from my bag and handed it to him, telling him it was a special surprise.
I'll never forget his expression when he pulled out that card. Not only did his eyes widen in shock, but they also filled with tears.
Joe asked me how on earth I'd gotten Kevin Harvick to send him a card, and I grinned, stating that I owed it all to Kevin's wife, DeLana, since I'd e-mailed her, along with Kevin's webmaster and fan club president. I explained my plan to find him a very special get-well gift and that Kevin took the gift to the next level -- a precious treasure we'd always cherish.
Shaking his head, Joe was stunned and overwhelmed. He couldn't believe someone as famous as Kevin Harvick would take the time to send him a card. Holding that card in his hand gave Joe a renewed sense of hope that everything would be OK.
The staph infection lengthened Joe's hospital stay by 10 days and added a team of infectious disease doctors to the white coats marching in and out of his room.
Joe's recovery at home was also extended due to the infection. An in-home care nurse tended to his incision for several weeks, and he was unable to work for a few months. However, he made a full recovery. With his new kidney, he was strong and healthy.
Joe was back to his old self, and we enjoyed traveling to many NASCAR races. We frequented Dover International Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. Our admiration for Kevin Harvick grew, and his signed postcard hung framed with our collection of NASCAR die-casts.
Our lives have changed since Joe received his kidney from his brother in 2004. We welcomed a second baby boy into our family in March 2005, and we moved from Virginia to North Carolina in 2006. The postcard from Kevin Harvick is still framed and displayed in a place of honor between two of our NASCAR die-cast collectible cases in our boys' playroom.
In 2008, we discovered that Joe's transplanted kidney had failed. His health deteriorated quickly, and he is back on dialysis and awaiting a second transplant.
While our lives took an unexpected turn with Joe's health, I do know one thing for sure -- there are special people in this world, like Kevin Harvick, who will go that extra mile and take a few minutes to brighten someone's day.
Each time I see Kevin Harvick in an interview on television, on the Internet, or in a magazine, I smile and remember how his simple postcard took my husband from dark, suffocating despair to a bright glimmer of hope. Someday I'll get a chance to meet him and thank him for giving my husband hope during one of the darkest moments of his life.
Until that day comes, I'll continue to root for Kevin from afar.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Chicken-Soup-For-The-Soul/2011/02/Kevin-Harvicks-Gift-of-Caring.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=49&ppc=&utm_campaign=DIBSoup&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=mail.ru
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