A public word of thanks to my special living donor:

The story of my 2002 kidney transplant is really more about my cousin-in-law and donor, Fran, than me. She is the hero of my story and my greatest inspiration. With the purest heart one could ever imagine, she offered me a life altering gift of one of her kidneys. Her amazing donation was a profoundly selfless sacrifice that did not just change my health, but changed my spirit forever. She gave life back to my dreams.

Fran lives 600 miles away and we had only met a few times in 40 years, having bonded as young women when she married my cousin Richard. Her initial offer left me in awe and I took a full year to think about it, giving her the opportunity to change her mind or back out gracefully. Her determination never wavered.  She gave me the strength and courage to accept a gift from another person that is bigger than the universe.

Receiving a kidney transplant is a life experience full of wonder and grace and there is little in life that can compare to it. How do I thank someone for such an overwhelming gift? I honor and appreciate Fran every day and try to let her know that she is a true treasure in my life. She inspires me with her generosity, goodness and love. She encouraged me to created my first kidney jewelry website in 2002. It turned out that people around the globe were also searching for meaningful gift ideas to honor the special heroes in their lives.

So thank you, dear Fran. You are my angel, my hero and the inspiration for countless gifts of gratitude traveling to living donors around the globe. Your kidney is a big part of me, but the place you forever hold in my heart is even bigger!

      

Love Always,

Myra

7/16/2002

                              Just before surgery, 2002       10 yrs later, 2012-Donor and Recipient           

                                  2014-Selfie time

In addition to my jewelry work, I have served:

1. •on the Patient Advisory Council for Baxter Industries Renal Division since 1997.   
   

1. •as Patient Activist with weKan, a branch of the Renal Support Network, 2008
   

1. •as Patient representative on the Board of Trustees for The Renal Network #9/10 from 1997-2000.
   

During presentations to patients & professionals in the renal community, I reflect on both the challenge & impact of CKD as well as the resilience of the human spirit.

Podcast Interview:

December 2012

Lori Hartwell of the Renal Support Network and I talk about the importance of creativity

in our lives and how we both use creative work to weather the storm of kidney disease.

Lori uses vintage buttons in her jewelry while I use beads.

http://www.rsnhope.org/kidneytalk-podcast/show-index/why-we-love-to-create/

Publications:

June 2014

The Beader's Guide to Jewelry Design, by Margie Deeb, Lark Publications

October 2012

Bead & Button Magazine, “Hanging in the Balance, ”article by Margie Deeb about asymmetrical jewelry design, uses one of my necklaces to illustrate her text. The article

is an excerpt from her book published in 2014.

August 2012

Showcase 500 Beaded Jewelry, Lark Publications

3 necklaces from my Pipe Series are included in this book, named one of the top 100 books of 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly.

July 2008

“Beads of Life,” published online in KidneyTimes, newsletter of the Renal Support Network. To read the article, which is now in their archives, go to http://www.rsnhope.org/programs/kidneytimes-library/article-index/beads-of-life/ and type 177 into the search bar-upper right, labeled Web ID Address.

October 2000  

Nephrology News & Issues: “Deciding on a Transplant: Not Always a Patient’s First Choice”

November 1996

The Crafts Report:

“A New Beginning- One Artist’s Story of Finding Inspiration and Healing Through Her Craft."

Reprinted with permission on www.nea.gov, the website for the National Endowments for the Arts. It is no longer available online at the NEA, but can be viewed at Kidney Patient News, a publication by the Renal Network #9/10.

http://www.kidneypatientnews.org/ckd/schwartz.php