For the past ten years, this beach has been our one and only HAPPY PLACE.

Everyday,even if the forecast said rain, hurricane, cloudy & chilly, we would walk on the sand. Always near the beautiful shoreline, we spent endless hours picking up debris, collecting shells or driftwood.

After the transplant, now nearly 12 months ago, we have been forbidden from entering this magnificent place. Our dream team of Cleveland Clinic Florida healthcare professionals informed us that we must “be out of the sun” because we are more vulnerable to skin cancer now because of the anti-rejection drugs we are consuming daily. We could no longer enter the ocean due to the bacteria in the water. An infection could cause our body to reject Sydney and ultimately end our life. They also informed us that the bacteria in a community pool, such as the one in our condominium contains lethal amounts of bacteria.

No sun, no ocean & no pool anymore for us became our marching orders from the entire transplant team.

It is time to move away from my happy place.

Mount Airy North Carolina began to call us. Our son lives there. My sweet Susan’s best friend lives there.

Four seasons out of the hot and humid Florida sun. No condo pool and of course, no ocean to hurt us.

On May 24th, the very first anniversary of of our kidney transplant, our release date from the Cleveland Clinic is by design, our closing date of our newly purchased home in a small town in North Carolina.

The 20 th of this month, in just five days, after 30+ years, we are leaving the sunshine state

For the FUNSHINE STATE.

We leave with mixed feelings. Our love of the ocean after being a lifeguard for over 60 years, the beach clean-up we created in several cities, surfing, snorkeling, sailing, and just the thrill of walking on the sand behind us and will leave lasting memories that will live forever.

My sweet Susan and I will return to Southern Florida every six months for doctors appointments, high school, reunions, and visits with friends and family who are permanent residents.

They are leaving one Paradise for a second paradise. The mighty Blue Ridge mountains are magnificent, The waterfalls and fast moving rivers or a sight to behold the 40 state parks with hundreds of trails will become our playground. New friends and family will make us feel at home immediately. We love our new house with 1/3 of an acre, a lawnmower is in our life once again new volunteer organizations an historic Main Street will remind us every day of Andy Griffith’s Mayberry.

We can be reached on this website via text email or phone.

Your progress on the Diabetic journey can be made manageable if you just follow protocol from your healthcare professionals to us. We are here to help you 24/7/365.

By the way, after yesterday‘s visit with our oncologist, we learned that we,in fact, have no infections in our blood and we are totally cancer free. Indeed, that’s the best news we have heard in over a year. We feel blessed. Please be safe.