October Parish Health Happenings
Perhaps you’ve seen them at Mass.
On any given Sunday, you can find Matt and Katie Gingras wrangling their two active young sons, ages 3 and 18 months, into the pews at either 8:30 or 10:15 Mass. Like all parents bringing children this age to Mass, the Gingras’s seldom get the quiet reflection and deep worship opportunity that those of us without young children get to experience. But Matt and Katie know that without the anchor of faith and the squeezing of God’s hand, they would not be able to navigate the scary and unknown future of their precious toddler, Lucas. They also know how critical showing up, despite the challenges and roadblocks of getting young kids to Mass is in shaping their boys’ faith.
I first met Matt at the Westside Brewing parish social in March of 2022. Bishop Fernandes, then pastor, came up to me and introduced me to Matt and his wife, Katie, parishioners and physical therapists (both of them) expecting their second child in April. Matt works for Mercy Health and was interested in volunteering his services to the St. Ignatius community through the gift of free physical therapy screenings.
Come again? You are approaching me and asking me if you can donate your much needed gifts and talents so that others may find relief from pain? Please forgive my look of shock and awe as I give an internal, but loud, shout out to the Holy Spirit.
As the Parish Health coordinator, relatively new to role and trying to find my footing and place in this parish, this was a gift dropped straight from Heaven. In a fast paced and over scheduled culture, volunteers in any organization are a becoming a rare commodity simply because TIME is a rare commodity (also in part because our values have shifted, but that is for a whole ‘nuther write up!).
Since the summer of 2022, I have had the opportunity many months to sit with Matt for a few hours in Loyola Hall waiting for folks to come see him. Matt is an incredibly gifted health care practitioner with all the things I would look for myself or for a family member… compassion, intelligence and deep concern about the well being of those he serves. Matt often has to coordinate care for his sons so that he can care for our parishioners once a month since Katie works some weekends. Matt has given this parish the greatest gift… the gift of self. And Katie has given the gift of herself as well (we all know that volunteer work is shared when one spouse is not at home).
But Matt and Katie are in a desperate situation. And so I asked him if I could write about it and employ the help of this community to surround his family in hopes of finding a life saving gift for his son younger son, Luke. I won’t lie… Matt was hesitant because it is a big ask, but he consulted Katie and they agreed because in order to give Luke the greatest chance, his need has to reach the most people. To date, I consider this the most important thing I have written during my time here.
In April of 2022, Luke Gingras was born with a congenital anomaly known as Bladder Outlet
Obstruction (these kiddos are known as “B.O.O. Babies”). Diagnosed in utero at 19 weeks, Katie and pre-born baby Luke underwent a life saving surgery a week later, placing a shunt in his bladder to allow the urine to have an exit (I BEG you to read that sentence again as we fight for the lives at stake of our precious unborn children all while having the capacity to perform lifesaving surgeries on them). Without this procedure, Luke would have run out of amniotic fluid and never would have developed lungs. Luke’s current diagnosis is End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). His kidney’s function at about 9% of normal. You would never know by looking at him.
The short story is that their child needs a kidney transplant and I am writing this in hopes that anyone who is able will prayerfully consider the life saving gift of kidney donation. Little Luke has undergone multiple surgeries in his short life, all while Matt continues to work his schedule and serve our parish. This ask, neither Matt’s nor Katie’s idea, is my ask for them. It is easy for us to become cocooned and go inward under the weight of life’s crosses. But Matt has done the opposite in his suffering as an anxious father unable to help his son. Neither Matt nor Katie are suitable donors for Luke. Matt would never describe himself this way, but to continue to give his time and talent under the heaviness of his son’s critical medical situation is to be like Jesus.
Due to space, I am simply asking that if you are interested in finding out more about becoming a potential donor (yes, you can live a long and healthy life with one kidney and yes, kids can get an adult kidney!), please contact me at krewwer@sainti.org. Though I have attached the link to beginning the process for those who may want to jump right in, I have multiple resources with information on becoming a living donor that I am happy to send those who are curious and interested but completely in the dark about the process. https://cchmc.donorscreen.org/register/now May the Holy family intercede for, and may the St. Ignatius community lift up this family in prayer. May God bless you and keep you and your families safe.
Kate Rewwer
Parish Health Coordinator