Homeward Bound

Many of you followed Chris Gilbreath's nephrectomy and John's kidney transplant last week on Twitter. Dad donated his left kidney to his youngest son, 3-year-old John, while Mom, Amanda, followed along on her laptop.

On Day 2, we all let out a collective cheer when John was feeling well enough to play computer games in his ICU bed. Just a couple days after that, John left the ICU for a bed on the renal floor at Children's, and Chris was discharged from UT Southwestern University Hospital.

Yesterday, just nine days after their surgeries, both Gilbreath boys and a very proud mother and wife packed their bags and headed home to Bonham where a fun-filled summer awaits them - but not before a send-off from John's care team.

Looking back over the last couple weeks, Amanda says she wouldn't have changed a thing. She says the Twitter experience provided her with real-time peace of mind, and she's happy that other families who are waiting for transplants learned from their experience. Beyond that, she is tickled pink that so many people in the community have voiced an interest in becoming organ donors.

And us? We're pretty tickled, too. The Gilbreaths are all back home, together again, happy and healthy. Just like it should be.