Ray McMullen Fine Art Photography

I can attest that there’s nothing more exciting than finding your organ donor. But imagine coming home after a hard dialysis treatment and wishing you didn’t have to do them anymore and there was no light at the end of the tunnel; only to have your best friend, soulmate and wife tell you that she got a call and that she was an excellent match for a kidney transplant.  I had been battling cancer and dealing with dialysis treatments 3 days a week for 2 years. I had been given the news that my cancer was in stringent remission however, I still needed to do dialysis treatments until I could get accepted into a transplant program. I finally did get accepted into the transplant program at Vanderbilt University, the only problem was with my blood type. I was looking at a six to eight year wait. I was happy just to be in the program.  My journey continued, day after day, dialysis treatment after dialysis treatment. I felt like the walls were closing in on me and there was no end...

After my diagnosis, I was forced to slow down a bit from my everyday life. In doing so, I was able to appreciate the little things in life. Things that I would have just passed over without a second thought, like: 1.      Colors —Colors are more vibrant and I see so many more then I ever had before. It’s as if I’m seeing things with different eyes. 2.      Taste —I developed a taste for foods that I never liked before. All the things that I liked had bolder flavors. 3.      Relationships —I felt a need to listen to people when they spoke. Instead of waiting to speak, I actually was listening to what people had to say. I found a greater desire to connect with people. Having cancer did feel like a death sentence at first. However, after living with it for a couple of years and finding my new normal, I really don’t think that I would change a thing. I have a new appreciation for life and if my cancer ...

After being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, I found a new desire to connect with people. I learned that talking to people is one of the most valuable things we as humans can do to grow and develop. No pre-conceived judgements or thoughts about anyone. You can’t judge a book by its cover. Just a one on one discussion about life and sharing time. It’s one of the most valuable things to me. We’re not guaranteed tomorrow, we only have right now. If you are reading this, contact me. Let’s talk and get to know each other. You might just be surprised how much you like it. Start living your dream and share your passions…