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All of us have personal fitness, health, and weight loss goals. They’re inspired by different things, and some of us take longer on our journey to wellness than others, but the important thing is that we stay focused and try our best, so we can live a longer, healthier life.
33-year-old Rebekah Ceidro had always struggled with her weight, and she wasn’t doing much to change it. Weighing in at over 200 pounds, the mother admitted she often just fried up food when she was hungry.
That all changed when she saw a Facebook post from her friend, Chris Moore. Chris had also previously worked with Rebekah, and had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for quite some time. At just 30 years old, Chris was in need of a kidney transplant. Without it, he would have to go into dialysis.
The news shook Rebekah to her core, and she couldn’t believe her friend was going through something so frightening at such a young age. She knew she had to help out any way she could.
“I didn’t see any call for action. I didn’t see any people saying, ‘What can I do to help?’ And I just thought I had to do something.” she said.
That’s when Rebekah decided to perform the ultimate act of kindness to help her friend: she offered to donate her kidney. As luck would have it, Rebekah and Chris had the same blood type, so she began to work through the process of becoming a donor. Unfortunately, weighing over 200 pounds at 5’7” made her far too heavy to be a donor.
In order to be able to donate her kidney to her friend, Rebekah would have to lose about 15 pounds. The weight and height requirements are put in place to make sure that the patient receiving the donated organ isn’t put at further risk. Those who are heavier are at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes, which can damage the kidneys later in life.
“Admittedly, I was really angry that two individual surgeons would have the audacity to say such a thing, but they were right,” Rebekah admits. “My actual thought was, ‘I’m too fat to save my friend’s life.’ And that sucked, but that’s at least something you can change.”
Now was the chance for Rebekah to not only change her friend’s life, but her own. She immediately started to focus on her health, and even enrolled in a 5K. She continued to push herself and stay focused. While running as much as she was now was a huge challenge, she began to see changes in her body. She ended up not just losing the 15 pounds she needed to to become a donor, she lost 40 pounds!
Rebekah and Chris are getting prepped for the surgery, which should take place in about 3 to 6 months. Chris is so grateful for his friend and the sacrifice she is making for him, but he also sees her as a major inspiration.
What do you think of this incredible story of friendship and determination?
