IS THIS THE END OF A DREAM?

Relaxing in his living room, on a rainy Monday afternoon, Dave Swinfard was watching the Judge Judy show, when a Cessna 310 came crashing through his roof, landing 15 feet from him. "It was time to get the h... out of there!" he told me the next day. He lost his cat and 12 kittens, but is thankful he is alive! So is his mother, who lives across the street.

Dave bought his house in Riverside, California in 1980. The same year we moved to Riverside and bought our first house, a few miles away. His house was paid off. Dave is semi-retired and enjoyed his collection of Steven King books, 500 record albums, baseball cards from the 1950's, which included many rookie cards. He happened to live near the Riverside Municipal Airport. That was his undoing. Only 2 of the 5 occupants of the beautiful green Cessna 310 survived and are in critical condition.

Delmy Pennington, the co-owner of the D & D Cafe at Riverside Airport, described in detail the occupants of the Cessna 310, who had their last meal at her cafe.

The weather was bad. The pilot encountered problems starting the engine, she said. Before taking off, during a brief lull in the rain, the Cessna shook and sputtered as it taxied towards the runway. Delmy said she paid attention to the plane because it was a beautiful green color. As I looked over the cafe fence, I noticed many of the other private planes were off-white.

It is unfortunate Delmy and others at the cafe, must live with painful memories of the departed, who they had graciously served the last meal. A grateful hug from Delmy was comforting, when I shared the accident site pictures and the pictures I had taken of her.

Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives in this tragedy and we pray for recovery for those who survived. Many families are grieving and we pray for their comfort. Some neighbors described the incident as an earthquake. Others described it as a train derailing, because train tracks are at the end of Rhonda Street. Many have stopped by and given cash donations and other necessities. Although hesitant, Dave is thankful for the loving support from his neighbors and well-wishers. I encouraged him to setup a funding site. The following day his niece set it up: https://www.gofundme.com/3g6qpyo

The Scheck family, Dave's neighbors, also lost their home, 2 dogs and a cat. Thankfully, they weren't home when the plane struck. They have 3 young children who are safe. Their family has setup a Go Fund Me Site: https://www.gofundme.com/help-scheck-family.

Many have asked Dave if he was going to rebuild his home after this tragedy. "Of course, I am! What is the chance of another plane striking my home?" he states emphatically. Although he has lost everything he possessed, remarkably his spirits are up. God bless him! I asked him if he was a religious man? He remarked, "Not really, but I am thankful for those who have blessed me and are praying for me." A honest man indeed!

What does one do after experiencing such a great tragedy? Does one give up? Or hide in a corner and feel sorry? We can learn from Dave. During my visits, he was meeting people and TV news crews, answering questions and explaining repeatedly the experience he has endured. He isn't sitting in his mother's home waiting for people to cheer him up. We offered to take him out to lunch at his favorite restaurant, to give him a break and get to know him better. He accepted, but later had to decline, because relatives had come to visit him and brought him food. We agreed to get together another day.

How does the work of Living Donor Outreach figure in all this? First, I am encouraged by Dave's spirit of not giving up. Many a time the temptation to give up the mission of Living Donor Outreach seems attractive. The many obstacles and challenges we face daily are overwhelming. Just trying to garner support from the transplantation community seems to be insurmountable. Even those who promise to help fail to reciprocate. We have used all our financial resources to carry out this mission and need urgent funding. However, our appeals are not having the desired effect. In February, we raised 2.8% of our monthly budget. Are we going to quit? No way! March is National Kidney Month, we will continue to appeal to supporters to provide funds for our nonprofit. Our website is: https://livingdonoroutreach.com.

During my visits, I met 3 people who need help in their journey to transplantation. A parent whose 2 daughters have signed the donor cards. I shared with this mother the possibility of living donation. She seemed interested. We are aware of the great need and we need to continue to educate possible donors and patients about living donation. As Dave rebuilds his house and his life, let us also pledge to rebuild the lives of kidney patients who stare at the possibility of an early demise.

?Over 100,000 kidney patients will not receive a transplant this year. Let us join hands to help them!