Teri McCamish

Tom Lauher Needs A LIVING Kidney DONOR

My brother, needs a kidney so I’m asking for him. To know Tom, is to love him.

I was a fortunate child, to have my brother, Tom born twenty-two months before me. (He would later correct me when I said we were two years apart.) He was my protector, tutor, spiritual guide and closest friend. If ever a little toddler needed looking after, it was me.

Patient and kind to everyone. The neighborhood kids knew he would fix their bike chain or stand up to a bully. How he worked with me to finish assignments or drill on the times tables! We always walked to and from school together.

His friends in High School used to call him “Spock.” This was the highest compliment because we all loved Star Trek and Spock was amazing! Well, Tom has always been reserved, in a polite, observant way. He’s also wicked smart! Spock. He’d have the answer but you’d have to ask him directly.

That’s some ancient history that barely touches the depth of my admiration for Tom. To know him is to love him.

I live thousands of miles away from my brother so his day-to-day isn’t known to me. Since he’s been so sick, we’ve had to travel to lay our Father to rest. Tom drove rather than fly and it had to have been very uncomfortable but being Tom, he never complained. I was grateful for his effort and the time we had as a family, together again. Our large family is spread across the USA and I feel sure he would have visited me before now, if he could!

Tom has always been fit and active. Between volunteer umpiring baseball games and bicycling. He looks unchanged other than hair color! To regain an active lifestyle and live to see his adult children flourish in their own lives.

Someone is a match for Tom. Two functioning kidneys, working away without a care. Perhaps, the notion that it’s important to care and you can live a long, healthy life with one functioning kidney and that donating one would earn you more than a gold star sticker.

Previous Next