The time has finally come! Ian is, as I type this, in the process of getting his transplant here in Atlanta. He was anxious, as might be imagined, and we share those feelings as his parents. It is a difficult thing to let your child, one you have cared for for so long for so hard, out of your control, even if it is to the surgeons who have the skill to save his life.

The call was, to say the least, a surprise. Ian's PELD was still fairly low. We had anticipated that we still had a few years before that call would come. I was working out of state in Fairless Hills, PA (just north of Philadelphia). I was actually observing the unloading of a slab ship so I can complete the writing of a procedure on the work. I felt my phone vibrate, but didn't hear it ring. It has not vibrated during a ring before or since, and the volume was not turned down. I looked down at the phone and noticed it was Elaine, so I picked it up (of course). I was expecting a normal type of phone call. Instead, she said "We just got the call for Ian's liver." I had to have her clarify, and then my adrenaline kicked straight into high gear. The only thing I could say was "I'm standing on a cargo ship north of Philadelphia, and I'm close to 1/2 mile from the offices." We agreed I needed to get to the Philadelphia airport as quickly as possible. I sprinted the distance back to the office, pausing only to return my visitor's passes. If you've ever seen a fat man run that far, it can draw some attention (especially when he's wearing steel-toed boots and a reflective vest, hardhat, and safety glasses... not a pretty picture, is it?).

When I got back to the office, I was out of breath, but managed to tell my colleague with whom I had travelled what was going on. We left quickly after she assisted in getting my ticket changed. I left Philadelphia on an 11:31 flight direct to Atlanta. I landed at 1:45 or so. In the meantime, wather prevented Elaine from being able to fly to Atlanta from Charleston, so she drove (very fast, I might add - she allegedly hit 100 mph more than once). We met just off the exit at I-85 and drove into the hospital together (Elaine's sister and brother-in-law picked me up at the airport).

Once we arrived, we were able to get checked in and then we just had to wait on the organ to arrive. It came this morning, but with Ian already checked in, he and I slept here at the hospital. Ian has been a champ, as he usually has with things, and Livy is thankfully to young to have any shot at remembering this. Elaine's sister is helping out a lot with Livy. Elaine has spent last night with her sister and will likely spend tonight there as well before returning to Charleston tomorrow.

Not much else happening right now except a lot of waiting. I'll post more over the next few days to keep those interested in progress up to date.