Elida's smile beamed across the room and made me take notice. She was surrounded by buzzing alarms of the dialysis machines, and tied down by the tubes that carry her blood away to be cleaned of the toxins her kidneys can no longer remove. She looked up as if welcoming me to pull up a lawn chair on a warm sunny afternoon.

Elida's diagnosis is remarkably similar to mine. Both of us lost our kidney function to rare auto-immune disorders. Both attacked fast and left us in shock, often consoling family members that it would be okay, when we had no idea what we were facing.

Elida is an energetic twelve year old, on the brink of her teenage years, constantly checking her phone for text messages or phone calls from her cousin, wiggling her toes in her intentionally mismatched flourescent colored socks. Her eyes light up when she talks about music and friends, and she and her mom both grin when I ask about "boys." I feel at ease and lucky to meet such a cool kid.

And then the dialysis machine behind us begins to screetch, red lights flashing, and I'm pulled from the ease of Elida's natural storytelling skills. Elida is unphased by the alarms and the lights. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 4 hours in this chair. 4 hours of nurses pacing from kid to kid. A constant flurry of activity and yet, she is held captive by this chair until it is finished with her. The 4 hours leave Elida tired, but they help her survive. At the end, she leaves to face the school day ahead of her.

Elida's mother, Veronica, works nights to be with her kids during the day, and after not enough sleep, brings Elida to the dialysis center. Elida's mother and family all work hard just to stay afloat, and to keep Elida going to the clinic, and attending school.

The only way to end this cycle is a transplant. It was my only option to return to health, and Elida faces the same challenge.

And that's where Transplants For Children comes in. When Elida's time for a transplant comes, Transplants For Children will help her family in countless ways. TFC will have helped prepare the family for what is ahead. TFC will support Elida and her family during the week of the transplant, during the critical moments when she needs family and friends around her. And TFC will be there beyond the transplant, with programs for transplant candidates and receipients that include social events, charity events, and even scholarships to help kids get to college.