#7 Chuck & Cindy Brantley – Surviving Multiple Organ Transplants: Choosing Faith, Humor, and Resilience

Amy (00:00) Welcome to Just a Thought with Amy Keys. We are here to inspire, educate, inform, and entertain. On today's episode, I am so happy to welcome Chuck and Cindy Brantley about their surviving a transplant story. And I guess I should say so much more because it's never dull with the Brantleys. In fact, I'll just add that we already tried to record this and had to stop it and start over, we think because

Well, the Brantleaves are here and it's technical, right? So why not go wrong?

Cindy (00:30) See ya.

Amy (00:31) So welcome. So happy to have y'all. Glad

Cindy (00:34) Glad to be here.

Amy (00:35) you did. So I thought we would discuss quickly how we met before we get into your story. And I remember twenty years ago, Sean coming home from work and he was like, Gosh, there's this guy I know. You know, he's you know, through work and he's super sick. He went to New Orleans on a trip for work. He came home.

had this virus and I think he's gonna need like a heart transplant. And I'm like, Ann, his wife is pregnant. And I like, is this Jib anything else? Like this is terrible. And so I just remember praying for you and feeling so terrible for you. And then my little church women's group did a little diaper drive for the baby. Yes. And then I didn't meet you because you were always at the hospital with Chuck. Because Chuck was always at the hospital. And then I'm gonna let you take it from there on

How this all happened and where it went and why we're here.

Chuck (01:28) Yeah, so July two thousand six I went to on a work trip to Biloxi, stayed in a revamped air quotes hotel room that was kinda dusky and musky and all that. Went there and went a couple of months later, went in September, went down to New Orleans, was opening a casino hotel there, was doing all the networking. There for a couple of days, started not feeling right. Just thought I was asthma, you know, I've been

walking up and down stairs, walking all over the hotel, and they're putting equipment in racks, doing all sorts of stuff. And so by that point, you know, another day went by and I s really wasn't feeling good. Just couldn't sleep, having a hard time breathing. I just figured, you know, but got into something. It was a construction zone. So man, I thought maybe I got into something asthma was acting.

Amy (02:17) You certainly didn't know, I have a heart transplant coming no on my calendar.

Chuck (02:22) No, and so another day went by and I was like I told him he like, Look, I guess I can't function anymore. I just need to go home. So I packed all my stuff up, got in the rental car, drove home the five and a half hours, got home and basically just went and sat down. Wasn't feeling good. Made an appointment with my allergist because that's UCG for asthma is use. Went over to saw him, he didn't see anything major, just thought, you know, asthma again.

So he sent me on my way with, you know, the typical medication for asthma, but all. Another couple of days was going by, still wasn't feeling good. Went to a minor med. Went in there, saw them, they didn't really see anything.

Cindy (03:05) The doctor said he actually said this is beyond my scope. Yeah, that's I mean Which kinda freaked me out.

Chuck (03:11) Once again, thought it was asthma, sent me on the way, said, Hey, we need to refer you to another doctor, internal medicine doctor. So had the appointment, went and saw her, same thing, went in, talked to her, showed her my symptoms, told her what was going on. She was like, you know, you've got a past of asthma issues, you know, let's look at that. So she, you know, did the whole asthma thing, gave me the whole, you know, breath test and all that, told me just to keep

you know, going on. So she's like, It'd be fine.

Cindy (03:42) She came she actually walked out with him to the waiting room where I was at the desk and she looked at me and she said, He's going to be fine. And

Amy (03:51) And you're like, okay.

Cindy (03:52) I'm like, Great. You know, that made me feel better after the other doctor said this is beyond my scope. I'm thinking it's something major and, you know, she tells me he's going to be fine. Right. I'm like, great.

Chuck (04:03) Yeah, so if I remember correctly I had like another follow up appointment with her.

Cindy (04:06) Two. You saw the two the other time.

Chuck (04:08) Wasn't feel still wasn't feeling well busy, kinda sent me on my way again. At one point I started feeling really bad and went to the ER. ER has like sat me on a table, looked me over, gave me a nebulizer treatment and said, Hey, we're gonna be fine. Go home.

Amy (04:24) And at that point nobody had thought it was your heart, I guess. They were still thinking like lung, asthma.

Cindy (04:29) And I guess maybe it was because of his age he was only twenty nine.

Amy (04:33) Yeah.

Cindy (04:33) Well, twenty eight at that time, but still.

Amy (04:36) Right.

Chuck (04:37) I was twenty nine. I turned thirty the next year.

Cindy (04:40) No, that's right.

Amy (04:41) Thank God.

Chuck (04:41) Yeah, and so, you know, did that a couple of times.

Cindy (04:45) Once again. A few more days went by and you were trying to early six

Amy (04:48) This was like January or February? No. October. October. Early October. October of twenty.

Cindy (04:53) early October and so he still wasn't feeling well. And there was one day where he was just sitting out on the front porch because he didn't he was sitting in a chair and he didn't feel well and I went outside to check on him and he just kept telling me I just don't feel good. I don't feel right. And I said, Go to the ER. And I'll never forget this.

His comeback was, Why should I? Because they're just gonna tell me I'm fine. And I got a little irritated and I kinda yelled at him and I said, Go anyway. And so he did. He went by himself, of course, 'cause I had, you know, kids at home and he he he came back and it was the same thing. They said, It's asthma, I'm fine. They gave me an inhalant.

Amy (05:38) Because nobody would have assumed that a guy goes down to New Orleans to work. No offense, Nola. We don't mean it against you, New Orleans. We're just saying where you went, where he went. But that you go down there and then come back with a heart a virus, I guess, that attacked your heart.

Cindy (05:52) Yeah.

Chuck (05:52) And so mine you my my legs were swollen during all this as well.

Cindy (05:56) Which he did pin you know, he pointed out to the doctors who didn't seem concerned about it. I was starting to get really concerned about that. I was thinking, Your legs are swelling, your legs have never swollen as my before. You know,

Amy (06:10) Right, right.

Cindy (06:11) it just didn't seem right with me. It just wasn't sitting right with me. But, you know, after that he's tried to continue to work and then one day

Chuck (06:20) Yeah, I mean I was going to work every so often I would my breathing would get off. I'd start having panic attacks. That went on for a little bit and then one day I was at work and finally decided I can't do this anymore. I can't function. Grabbed my backpack, packed my stuff, trudged out to my car as best as I could, drove home.

Cindy (06:39) I was not there because I was picking up Bryce from Half Day Kindergarten.

Chuck (06:43) And then I basically drove myself down to her parents' house, went inside, and then we decided to pack up and go to the ER.

Cindy (06:52) Then my mother calls me, you know, I'm driving back from picking up Bryce and she said, We have Chuck. We're taking him to the ER. He's not doing well. Again, you know, I'm starting to panic at this point. Right. So I arrive at at you know, the ER at this hospital, and my mother is frustrated because she said, I've been trying to tell these people there's something really wrong with him and they're not taking him back.

Amy (07:19) Right.

Cindy (07:20) So, you know, then I go up there and try, you know, begging them, please take him in there and, you know, she's asking me all these questions and have you called his doctor? And, you know, I'm like, He's been seeing doctors. Nobody's doing anything. That's why we're here. So, you know, please so he eventually gets back there.

Chuck (07:38) And Yeah, I remember them looking me over. I sat on a gurney. They did the usual, you know, Let's look you over everything, Pope Pride, no breathe, you know, listen to your heart, let's do everything.

Cindy (07:50) And then they took a urine sample. Yeah. And it it was so dark it looked like whiskey. His urine just was so dark. Next thing we know, the doctor comes in there and says, I think he has hepatitis. Wow. And I'm like, what? Where did where did that come from? Hepatitis. And then the nurse comes in. You know, she's like, You know, since you're pregnant, you need to be very careful around him. You need to wash your hands. You know, and that's really Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's that's just what I needed.

Amy (08:19) Right.

Cindy (08:20) I said, you know, we're gonna admit him. We have to wait for a hospital room. And then the hospital room became available and he went up to the hospital room. And you know, when you first go in there, the nurse who's gonna be in charge of you comes in there, you know, examines you or whatever. She came in and did that, and I could see the look on her face. There was just something wrong. Right. And she said, I'm gonna call the critical response nurse.

Amy (08:48) yeah, and then you're at high alert.

Cindy (08:50) Yeah, and then at that point everything just went crazy. The critical response nurse came in there like really quickly. She was only in there a few seconds and she was yelling for people to come in there. She said, Hold the elevator open. We've got to go downstairs now. I mean it happened so fast. So they're whisking him in one elevator. Somebody else took me in another elevator down to the wait waiting room.

And after a little bit, I mean he was he was crashing is what happened. He was crashing and they were trying they were trying to revibe. But a doctor comes out to the waiting room and he was asking me all the questions, you know, does he do drugs? No, he does not do drugs. Does he take, you know, high doses of Tylenol? No. You know, no to all the questions. And he said, you know, we really don't know what's going on, but we know that, you know, his heart's having issues, his liver's having issues, his kidneys are having issues.

We'll do what we can for him.

You know, so it I think it's it

Amy (09:57) When did y'all finally get down to business and know what it was after all of this?

Chuck (10:02) I think it was a couple of days before they actually

Amy (10:13) It's when they figured that out, did they know that quickly you'd need a transplant?

Cindy (10:18) It it was a it was a while. It was a wild

Chuck (10:22) Yeah.

Cindy (10:23) And lots of things happened during those

Amy (10:25) And those two So then you found out when once you did find out, okay, I need a heart transplant, how long did you have to wait for the heart transplant? And weren't were you in the hospital the whole time?

Cindy (10:36) months. He in the in in five different hospital. That's why the story is just so

Amy (10:43) Different

Cindy (10:44) involved. You know, at one point w during the the initial hospital he was sent up to, you know, a step down unit when I thought, why is he sent being sent up to a step down unit? I was questioning it. Right. You know, and the doctors said, I think he just needs rest. And so, you know, I I had

Amy (11:04) You're like no, I need a new ticker. Little

Cindy (11:06) Exactly. And you know

Amy (11:08) different than rest.

Cindy (11:09) I was talking to other doctors on the team. That was the lead doctor who just decided that. I was talking expressing my concerns to other doctors that I really didn't think that was a good idea. And there was this one so sweet doctor and he said, you know, if you have any issues, call me. I will get him back down. It wasn't his decis He was not the lead doctor.

Amy (11:29) Right.

Cindy (11:30) There were problems. There were issues.

Amy (11:33) So okay, you got you got the heart. When did you get the heart transplant?

Chuck (11:37) February twenty third of two thousand seven.

Amy (11:39) Okay. Now then how long did you go until you needed a kidney?

Chuck (11:46) let's see, about ten years I started having major kidney issues and then got put on dialysis. I was on dialysis roughly three and a half years.

Amy (12:00) Is that a side effect from the medications that you have to take or the actual like transplant organ?

Cindy (12:07) kidney damage because of the we

Amy (12:09) Of the heart.

Cindy (12:11) went when we moved from the first hospital to he was transferred to Vanderbilt. Okay. That's a whole story too. But we ended up That's and

Amy (12:19) For two point

Cindy (12:21) let's just say it was an insurance issue and he couldn't go to the heart transplant that was right down the road. Instead they life flighted him to Vanderbilt.

Amy (12:30) Okay.

Cindy (12:32) But it was. It was it was his heart had just had so many issues that it caused kidney damage. And then you have medication on top of that.

Amy (12:41) Right. And you you felt a lot better once you got a new kidney, right? You were like a new guy. I remember.

Cindy (12:47) It changed it changed his life. although, you know, the heart transplant was great and it saved him, there were still a lot of

Chuck (12:56) I was never I never had full energy just 'cause I kid you don't

Cindy (12:59) It was It was R.

Amy (12:59) Right.

Chuck (13:01) function, you just never felt a hundred percent

Amy (13:04) Yeah.

And then your eye, what happened with the eye?

Chuck (13:07) So the eye we think is a byproduct of the heart transplant. So about six months after the heart transplant, I was working one day at home and I something didn't I couldn't see it right. And so I was like, Okay, something's going on. Went to the eye doctor. He's like, Hey, I don't know what's going on. I'm referring you to Hamilton. So I went down to Hamilton, saw the the main doctor there, Charles apparently his last name was. He looked at me and was like, Hey, I've never seen this before.

Amy (13:35) You're so special, Brant Lee.

Chuck (13:36) I'm sitting there and he's like, Do I you mind if like I bring a bunch of students in here? So at one point I was sitting in the back of the room and like thirteen people came in. He's like, I've never seen this before. Can I use you as a study case? I'm like, Whatever.

Amy (13:50) Who knew Chuck would be a guinea pig?

Chuck (13:52) And so they never could figure it out. And he had his, you know, he had his thoughts, but never could pinpoint anything. And then I think it was twenty nineteen.

I was in the hospital prior to that, did something, scratched my cornea, something you know, was having issues with it then and so one night one I went to bed, one day I woke up, my eye was red. Couldn't figure out what it was. I was like, here we go again. Went to the doctors, they couldn't figure out what it was, and within a week I was born.

Cindy (14:21) He woke up one morning and couldn't see her.

Chuck (14:23) Their best guess, because I didn't have time to actually diagnose it, is whatever was going on with my optic nerve. They think I may have had a p partial blockage, which was causing all the weirdness prior to that. They think it may have shifted and basically blocked the whole optic nerve which supplies blood ura.

Amy (14:39) And none of that's related to anything you've already had.

Chuck (14:43) I think it's a by product of the heart. But you know, they can't

Amy (14:46) My non medical professional thing.

Cindy (14:48) We think

Chuck (14:49) Yeah,

what's Pinpoint anything because it's all speculation because they could ever pinpoint the original issue. Right. But that would make sense

Amy (14:56) Right.

Chuck (14:56) just because of the timing of what happened.

Amy (14:58) Well, what's your prognosis for all of this? Like c how how how like, you know, I know you can't say, they say I'm gonna live to be hop s or anything like that, but like what is your are you are you feeling healthy? Do you feel good? You look great.

Cindy (15:13) my gosh, he's doing so well.

Chuck (15:14) Right.

I was jab camping brick out of our driveway yesterday.

Cindy (15:18) Would I get on to him for doing all these things, Amy? Yeah.

Amy (15:21) I know, but a guy's gonna do what a guy's gonna do.

Cindy (15:24) You

know, we just do all this to save him and then he does stupid things like that.

Chuck (15:28) I

know what my body can and can't do. I don't push it too hard.

Amy (15:30) Well you've been through a lot, so I think if anybody knows you would. But

Cindy (15:35) And you know, th some things were left out. He also had, you know, he had to have a kidney removed prior to kidney transplant because h he had kidney cancer.

And and they also had gallbladder in them.

Chuck (15:50) There's

always silver legs.

Cindy (15:53) Yes, that's true.

Amy (15:55) Yeah. So you have one transplanted kidney. A transplated heart. A transplanted heart. Yeah.

Cindy (16:01) Yes and he's about to get a new act.

Amy (16:03) And you're gonna get a new like a glass eye. Yeah.

Cindy (16:05) I

don't think they make them out of class.

Amy (16:07) Yeah. I'm so like that's like so eighteen eighty five. I are you gonna get a monocle?

Cindy (16:12) He just had it taken out like what, has it been two months

Chuck (16:15) It was May eleventh.

Cindy (16:17) yet?

Amy (16:16) Yeah. So to

get a new eye, is it like a transplant eye or is it like a fake eye?

Chuck (16:22) It's

just acrylic. wow. Yeah. You can pop it in and out.

Amy (16:26) I dare

Cindy (16:28) We're not because it's

Amy (16:30) you to go to like the grocery store and pop your eye out and pop start aisle.

Chuck (16:36) To back up a little bit, when I started having all the kidney issues, that I used to play trek on nurses all the time, they would come in, Hey, do you know your kidneys are bad? You know, you give the shock face and they're like, was I not supposed to tell you that? I'm like, No, we're fine, I already knew that. So

Cindy (16:51) He's always playing.

Chuck (16:52) I was always playing tricks on nurses just because, you know

Amy (16:55) Well you're you're kind of like a rebuilt guy at this point.

Cindy (16:58) Yes.

Amy (16:59) Okay, and so in the midst of all of this health journey, then you decide to have a cancer scare, Cindy. and that was what two thousand

Cindy (17:06) my god.

That was twenty twenty two. I was gonna say it was Yes it was. It was

Chuck (17:13) It's been five years.

Cindy (17:15) No, it was twenty two.

Chuck (17:16) Yeah,

that's

Amy (17:17) It was sure you had cancer. They were sure you had it.

Cindy (17:20) Yeah, and it was during it was still during the COVID.

Amy (17:22) So things weren't like normal.

Cindy (17:24) Right. No, it was a horrendous experience because I had to be by myself. Right. You know, at the ER and it also not only that, it was during an ice storm. This all went down

Amy (17:36) I remember.

Chuck (17:37) Yeah, we had no power.

Cindy (17:40) Yeah, and I and I was supposed to go for what what test was I going for? It's ov it was ovarium. It

Amy (17:44) What kind of cancer did they think it was? It was a

Cindy (17:48) was ovarium, but I thank God it was one A like the you know, the chronoph

Amy (17:53) Very early.

Cindy (17:56) so so having the radical hysterectomy removed it all and I didn't have to have any treatment. I'm

Amy (18:01) And so you're good to go.

Cindy (18:03) good to go.

Chuck (18:04) What

was actually I f I forced her to go to the hospital, thank you.

Cindy (18:08) Yes, because I was having fluid buildup and

Chuck (18:10) She

had like later stage symptoms.

Cindy (18:13) Yes, that's the thing. The symptoms that I was having normally do not happen until late stage. And I got them early stage, but you know, someone was looking out for me, thank God.

Chuck (18:23) She had swollen legs. I'm like, Nope, I'm taking you to the hospital. I know you don't want to go and

Cindy (18:28) And that that

Amy (18:29) Like you both have had to make each other go to the hospital at various points. Yes.

Cindy (18:33) Yeah.

Amy (18:33) Yeah. Yes. Which is normal. But it's not so Cindy, you've had organs taken. You've had Chuck, you've had organs added and taken. There's a lot of going on here. So okay. I did some I did some research. I always like to have a little little intel when I go into these and I have about organ donation.

The need outpaces the supply, which I think that's stating the obvious, but approximately thirty percent of those on recipient lists don't make it to the transplant. I've read that 103,000 Americans are on the transplant list. There are 134 transplants a day, 49,000 a year. The three most common transplants are kidney.

a a year at twenty seven thousand five hundred, liver ten thousand and heart four thousand. And you're part of those statistics, but let's not be part of that third one that you're not part of yet.

Cindy (19:36) I said, No more replacement pipes, please.

Amy (19:38) In in the journey of your organ transplants, you don't really say that often to somebody, in your journey of organ transplants, plural, but here we are, y'all have shown great resilience and great sense of humor. Because I don't think you could do it any other way. Absolutely not. And that's one of the reasons that I came to you to have you on here because you are such an example of

We're gonna get through this. We're gonna laugh our way through it. It's painful. It's hard, whatever. I know a couple years was is it could have been six months ago, memory is fading, but major plumbing situation flooding in your house.

Cindy (20:19) Twice.

Amy (20:21) Major like completely gutted the downstairs, correct?

Cindy (20:24) Took like what, seven, eight months to have everything back. Yeah.

Amy (20:28) You were like living there like that. Yes. you have had a you let's talk about the holiday decorations. my. So Cindy has what a lot of people call the holiday house in East Memphis. And I'm not gonna say the street because I don't wanna do that to you, but it's amazing. She she is so such a talented artistic lady and decorates her top balcony. It's it's amazing. And sometimes you get some hate mail.

Sometimes you get some love mail, but the thought that anybody it's a really good example of someone who would write you, A, write you a letter and put it in your mailbox criticizing your incredible dec decorations. But B, if they only knew what was going on in your world. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Like it's just shocking that someone has the time to do that.

Cindy (21:19) It is. And you know, it doesn't it doesn't bother me, it doesn't upset me because I'm more resilient than that.

Amy (21:26) Very resilient.

Cindy (21:27) Somebody's words are not going to affect me. We we actually laugh about it because we're you know, we get it and we're like, my gosh, does this person really take time out of their day to write a hate no?

Amy (21:37) About decorations for Valentine's Day.

Cindy (21:40) And it it doesn't bother us. Now, the kids, it bothers it bothers the boys. They get super mad. You work so hard. But I just tell you know, there's unhappy people out there, there's ugly people out there.

Amy (21:53) These are not just like a couple blow ups and lights. These are all handmade and painted by Cindy. I mean, like these are don't you do like Doctor Seuss?

Cindy (22:02) I do. I do. That's a big one for Christmas.

Amy (22:05) Halloween. I mean, like the d Halloween, the decorations are like I know several friends who drive past there on purpose with their kids, no matter how old the kids are, because it's special. And I think you didn't do it for just a little while or you might have been like tired of getting a letter.

Cindy (22:21) Taking a break. Well, that I didn't really have anything to do with the During the Flood. during the flood, yeah. I I had to I was forced to take a break. And you know, it just depends on, you know, what's going on with us at the time. I try to have decorations up there year long. It doesn't always happen. But, you know, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. And then sometimes, you know, when I get a little overwhelmed with life, you know,

Yeah, Chuck can attest to this. I'll say, Chuck, I just I don't know if I wanna do this anymore. It's just so much trouble. Going up in the attic gets hot, you know. But then I'll get a nice letter. That that'll happen and then a kid will send me a letter. Right. You know, where he wrote it out, you know, and then I'm like, you know, the guilt says it and I'm like, No, I can't stop.

Chuck (23:04) We actually had a couple not long ago. We were sitting in the front yard on one of the few nice nights we have here that actually was driving by and did a U turn and stopped in front of the house, got out and were talking to us about the decorations, 'cause they take the grandkids by. I love

Cindy (23:21) Yeah, so you know that. I have to keep going. You know, sometimes I even have to force myself to keep going. Well that's

Amy (23:26) That's whole that's the whole resilience thing.

Cindy (23:29) It's

also therapeutic for me as well. It helps with this life. Right. You know, it gives me a brand with

Amy (23:34) life. Yeah.

Cindy (23:36) Brantley life.

Amy (23:37) It's almost like, hey, hold my beer. Brantley's you never know what

Cindy (23:39) Watch this exact What's

next? And you know, the nasty notes just encourage me more to do it. You know, I think they think that it's gonna make me stop and I'm like, you don't know me very well.

Amy (23:50) Your marriage has been through a lot with all of this. Your family life. 'Cause you have three kids as well from four total. But three two from a

Cindy (23:58) Yeah, four total. Four

previous marriage two from a previous marriage that Chuck helped raise

Amy (24:04) Right.

Cindy (24:05) since they were little. But yeah, four four boys.

Amy (24:08) So four boys, that hey, that's a you deserve a diamond in your crown for that there.

Cindy (24:14) Well but you know, life in general is rough for everyone. Sure. But then add in a couple of, you know, organ transplants it's it's rough.

Amy (24:20) Yeah. Yeah. That's

right. But you know, the whole organ transplant topic is so v it it's so unbelievable the lives that are touched and safe.

Cindy (24:33) Their nest.

Amy (24:34) And I mean, you wouldn't be here without them. Right. so in September of nineteen ninety five, my best childhood friend was in a terrible car accident. It was not her fault and she died. We were twenty two years old.

And I was living in Knoxville at the time. She was in Cincinnati and I got the call that she had died. I went to her funeral and, you know, all the terrible things that go along with a 22-year-old dying is, you know, so sudden, tragic. She was in nursing school. She was brilliant, had such a great future in just in an instant. And then a few weeks later, her mom sent me a copy of the Ohio Valley Life Center.

organ and tissue donation letter that she received. She wanted me to see how many people Heather was my friend Heather saved. And she saved five lives.

Cindy (25:28) Incredible.

Amy (25:29) And it talks about, you know, you how how much of an unselfish decision it was to have her donate. Absolutely. And that Heather's Heather's heart was transplanted into a 50-year-old man from Cleveland. He is married with two grown sons. Her liver

was transplanted into a fifty-three year old woman from Pittsburgh. She is divorced and lives with her aunt. She enjoys taking care of her pets and making jewelry. I mean, they gave her information. One of Heather's kidneys was transplanted into a twenty six year old man from Columbus, single and currently living with his parents because of his illness, unable to work. Heather's other kidney was transplanted into a thirty seven year old woman from the Cincinnati area. She's married with the daughter.

And despite her illness, she has been able to continue working. All of these recipients are doing well since receiving their transplants. Heather's lungs and pancreas are found to be unsuitable for transplant due to her injuries.

Cindy (26:25) Right.

Amy (26:26) But I love how they worded in this letter so gently to her mom that this is an extremely far-reaching gift that Heather gave so many people. So literally, a lot of these people are probably still alive. I mean, the

Thirty-seven year old, twenty-six year old, they're all they're just a little older than I mean me. And I think about how far reaching it was. And they sent her a poem about remember me. And it, you know, I was twenty-two years old when I received this letter. And I guess your your brain isn't mature enough to wrap around how huge this is. It it was to me, it was just a bunch of words. I was sad about my best friend from my childhood dying. Right. But she

saved those lives. And so it it taught me a lot about, you know, making sure I am an organ donor. My sweet friend around the corner, such a talented artist, wonderful, Christ like amazing woman. She had a liver transplant a few years ago and the liver's treated her well. And she's treated it well. And

Cindy (27:32) It's important.

Amy (27:32) right. And we are we are so blessed that my neighbor is still here to talk about surgery.

Cindy (27:40) Well, it's it's such a gift.

Amy (27:42) It is such a gift and and I I really do encourage people to become organ donors. Yes. Because without them, Chuck wouldn't be on this podcast today.

Cindy (27:50) Absolutely.

Amy (27:51) And I just cannot imagine the resilience that you have and the faith that you have. You have got to have astounding like supernatural resilience and faith.

Cindy (28:06) It you know, anyway, listen

Amy (28:08) yeah.

Cindy (28:10) there's

Amy (28:12) times where you've had to depend on each other. Like when you were in the hospital during that ice storm, I remember bringing y'all dinner and talking your driveway and I was like, this cannot this is this is borderline ridiculous.

Cindy (28:22) It is and it wa it was just crazy 'cause I think, you know, it changed our perspective. We got to see each other's perspective from the other side. Mm. Which I would rather have not have done, but you know, let's play it where you can.

Amy (28:34) Do not like

Cindy (28:36) But it's team it's absolutely teamwork. You know, we're we're normal people and we do have our moments. But, you know, panicking or freaking out helps nothing or no one. You just have to it's survival mode. You are in survival mode and you do what you have to do to survive. Right. And you do it together. That's just you know, there are moments when I, you know, kind of have meltdowns and he has to talk me through it.

And vice versa. That's just what you do.

Amy (29:08) Do do you does everybody in your family do they are they organ donors? Is everyone I don't Except you can't be. You've got enough been given to you. You can't give any

Cindy (29:13) I believe so. I believe so. Well he can't be. But as now

like it my cousin is who gave Chuck his kidney.

Amy (29:24) I remember because you're really having a hard time finding a match or someone who could do it. Yeah. Because

Cindy (29:29) Yeah.

Amy (29:30) you can have a live donor for kidney.

Cindy (29:32) Yeah, I mean 'cause if you don't have a live donor, then the wait is a long.

Chuck (29:36) Average waits three to five years. Wow.

Amy (29:39) You didn't have that long, did you?

Cindy (29:41) I d I don't think so. I don't

Amy (29:43) Quality of life. I don't think so.

Chuck (29:44) Yeah,

I mean I was it was getting harder and harder after Dallas is just a you know, bounce back.

Amy (29:51) Are you afraid of hospitals now?

No.

Chuck (29:53) Not really.

Cindy (29:54) I still am I don't like I don't even like driving by some of the hospitals he's been.

Amy (30:00) Yeah, I d I get I can understand that. Core memories that are not the best.

Cindy (30:04) Memories.

Yes, and I didn't like before in that, so that just made that's

Amy (30:07) Being pregnant during all of this, you had Chuck, you had to bend in the bed so sick, waiting on organs and finding out what's wrong with you, knowing your wife is gonna have a baby.

Cindy (30:19) Well, the funny thing is, is for that five months that he was in the hospital, he was not lucid for much of it. That's why when the story is told, it's usually me telling it because he was not lucid.

Chuck (30:30) Parts of the second hospital, remember parts of the first hospital, remember parts of the rehab place, and probably most of my memories are from the last place where I got transplanted because I was awake for the good portion of it. But I remember I actually remember waking up, not knowing where I was, what was going on, them telling me, hey, you're in so and so, we're gonna, you know, get you better. And

Pretty much after that it was when was, you know, was pretty much awake for most of the rest of the the journey until I got transplanted.

Cindy (31:05) It you know, it also it prayer is so important. It's faith and prayer is so important. I can't stress that enough. There you know, there was a time when I guess we were back in Memphis at the final hospital and he was he was dying again, he was turning gray. And I was I had been in denial that he needed a transplant. I was always hoping that he you know, and praying that his heart would get better.

And it reached the point where they were going to put an L VAD in him, which is a device that pumps your heart for you. And they took me in this room and I had to watch the video and it was a little coarse. And I just remember all I heard was blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, that noise.

Amy (31:47) Noise.

Cindy (31:48) Yep. And it was it was just giving me anxiety. And I'm like, and you know, because it has a battery pack and you can't let the battery die. And I'm like, I don't want to be interested with this L VAD. And so I went home that night.

And I literally got down on my knees at the bed. And you know, it was God, okay. I know I have been praying for his heart to get better. Now I'm asking you, just make happen whatever needs to happen to make him better.

Amy (32:20) That gives me chills.

Cindy (32:22) And it does me too. And the next day I went into the hospital and it it was it was bad. It was a whole thing where he was he actually my dad and I were in the hospital and he actually flatlined and, you know, whisk us out. They bring us in you know, the everybody comes in to try to save him and they tell him, you know, they're calling the chaplain, which

I know whenever that happened it happened so many times, I know what that means when they're not a chapter. And then they said, call the family in.

Amy (32:52) Right.

Cindy (32:54) So that whole thing happened. But then the next day I went into the hospital and they said, We don't think that he'll even survive the L VAD operation. So we've decided to put him on the transplant list. Because your numbers have to be at a certain level. You can't you know, to be on the list. Right.

Amy (33:16) Right.

Cindy (33:17) status. Well his reached that that day and they said we're gonna put him on the heart transplant.

Amy (33:25) And isn't that interesting after that prayer? Yeah, I I I've talked to several friends in the past and myself included about how, you know, when sometimes you have to change the angle of your prayer.

Cindy (33:35) Exactly. Sometimes you're asking for the wrong

Amy (33:37) Yeah. I mean, we're not we're we're not like Garth Brooks, you know, that song, you know, God whatever, God's greatest gifts are uninsert prayers. Yeah. Sometimes it's the God's greatest gifts or changing the angle of your prayer. And sometimes we think we know more than

Cindy (33:50) Right.

What we need. I was not wanting to accept that he needed a heart transplant because it was all overwhelming.

Amy (33:56) Right.

Cindy (33:57) But once I did accept that and just say, please, whatever needs to happen, let it happen.

Amy (34:03) Have you lived your life that way since? I think I think you have because I've I've watched you I

Cindy (34:07) I absolutely have.

Amy (34:08) I think I think I will always have this unique bond with you guys because of how I got to know you in that time of your life. Yes. And I have seen like I mean, if your buds if your boots are gonna get stuck in mud, you're gonna step right out of that mud somehow. yeah. I mean, that is how y'all you

Cindy (34:26) We will claw the

Amy (34:27) will do it. And and usually with humor. And that's my

Cindy (34:31) I I just couldn't do it without

Amy (34:34) Your your sense of humor is it's you can almost touch it. It's so fun to be on the sidelines to see that humor. Not necessarily like, hope something bad happens. They haven't seen it. I'm just saying like what a testimony of prayer angles, humor and like your marriage. Right.

Cindy (34:51) That's how we get through it.

Amy (34:55) And just look keep forward thinking. You're very positive people, but boy, you have made me laugh over the years.

Okay, so speaking of laughing, can we talk about the raccoon house story?

Cindy (35:07) my god.

my gosh. You know only the Brantley.

Amy (35:11) Only the

Cindy (35:12) I'm telling you the stories we could

Chuck (35:14) Yeah.

Cindy (35:15) really we could do a whole podcast.

Amy (35:16) Gotta share just a little glimpse into that.

Cindy (35:19) my gosh. You know, the the ab the abandoned house next door, which is a whole issue, but there's a bunch of cats there who were, you know, have been multiplying and I started out feeding, you know, there was a there was a mama cat and two kittens and, you know, I started feeding the kittens 'cause I felt bad. But of course they've multiplied. Right. And so I

feed the cats and we have been working with the rescue and trying to, you know, catch some of these cats and get spay to neuter and all that, but it's not as easy as

Amy (35:53) Yeah.

Cindy (35:54) you know, but like there's there's, you know, a neighbor or two who's gotten involved as well. But I feed the cats. But you know, when you're feeding cats and there's cat food out there, the raccoons come. So they climb up on the wall and then, you know, I call the rock climbers because they're you they're

Amy (36:10) The ring video captures like the cats and the raccoons having standoffs and stuff. Is the house still vacant?

Cindy (36:14) Yeah, yes.

Yes, it is. It it's a whole issue. Supposedly

Amy (36:21) Has anything happened with it? Like anything

Cindy (36:23) it's been sold and supposedly they're gonna renovate it. Okay. Honestly it needs to

Chuck (36:34) The movement of the snail's face at the moment.

Cindy (36:34) It does mean But

you know it, yeah.

Amy (36:38) Well, maybe with all the cats on your ring video, I guess you don't have any mice or rat problems.

Cindy (36:44) No, 'cause we were having rat problems before the cat population expanded. We had roof rats from that house. A couple of different times. Of course we did. But it's which were funny stories involved

Amy (36:53) Why would

Cindy (36:56) in that too, but we won't go into but

Amy (36:59) Well, so yeah, see this is like this is this podcast is kind of like Brantley life. It's going from serious topic to funny to my goodness. So

So

Cindy (37:09) Story of our lives.

Amy (37:10) circling back to to organs and to organ donations. Chuck, do you personally have any advice for someone who might be on a list?

Chuck (37:22) this is thanks to her, but you know, you go through ups and downs big time, like major mood swings. And so I'm gonna general

Amy (37:30) Just in general.

Chuck (37:33) I mean, you're in the hospital, you're not and you can't do anything. You know, you're watching the same T V shows over and over, there's nothing to do, you're just bored. And think back then, you know, that hospital didn't have internet. So you're literally just sitting there watching, you know, boring T V shows for hours on end. Right.

So I mean it kind of gets to you or your mind starts wondering, you just, you know, stir crazy. But what I've told everybody that's gone through anything is I mean, if you don't stay positive, your mindset means everything. Yes. And so if you don't stay positive, you go through a downward spiral and that just makes things worse. Yes.

Amy (38:09) Yeah.

Chuck (38:10) So I mean

Amy (38:10) Yes. I'm a very positive person and I think that's why you guys always resonate with me 'cause I'm like, by golly, they've done it again. They've gotten through this again and I'm always convinced it's your attitude. 'Cause Yeah, attitude is everything.

Cindy (38:22) Didn't want to, but we did. 'Cause

a a lot of times something will happen and we're like, my gosh, not again, you know.

Amy (38:30) Which one of you is the rock of the marriage?

He's he's pointing at her, everybody. You think that? Aww.

Cindy (38:38) That's sweet. I I don't know, I was gonna say you, but like I said it's teen

Amy (38:43) Sean is the rock of our maid. He he'll be like, silly, but he is because the almost twenty seven years we've been married, since I've known him, he's gonna get tickled because he's gonna hear this and he's gonna edit it. But hey, but he c Sean can walk in a room and no matter what is happening, and I'm immediately calm. Like I don't have to be freaking out or anything like that. He is just a got a very calming presence.

Cindy (39:08) Later.

Amy (39:09) And that to me is a rock.

And I hope that my boys can be that to well, to Christopher's wife and to Andrew's future wife. I hope that they can I hope they have seen him be that way.

Cindy (39:23) Right. And it's good to see and it's good to teach. I've always taught my kids resiliency. I believe it's so

Amy (39:29) Well you haven't had to teach They've just watched you.

Cindy (39:33) I mean I hope that they've learned from that.

Amy (39:35) They've just they've just watched you. And you know, fight or flight is a real thing. It and

Cindy (39:40) Yes.

Amy (39:41) we can easily go one way or the other. Yep. But when you have the anchors of a strong marriage and you have an anchor of faith. Right. And knowing that I love and I hope listeners love about your your message about, you know, the prayer prayer angles really do matter. Yes. I know 'cause we think we know so much more than we really do. Right. And God knows what we really need.

Cindy (40:04) do you know, I credit my parents for growing you know, for raising us in that envi kind of environment.

Amy (40:10) How your parents doing?

Cindy (40:12) They're

Amy (40:13) The sweetest. your sweet mom made me a beautiful wall watercolor to thank me for getting diapers for you. Okay.

Cindy (40:21) Sounds

Amy (40:22) And such it's so lovely, such a lovely, classy gesture, but they're they're doing okay.

Cindy (40:29) They're doing okay. Okay. They are but I they they I I just really appreciate them instilling all of these things in me.

Amy (40:36) Yeah. Yeah, because they didn't know what they were getting you ready for with

Cindy (40:39) Exactly. They had no idea. You know, who would who knew?

Amy (40:43) Who knew he was going on a a business trip and coming home with all these presents? Sac. You're supposed to bring her a bottle of perfume or a little cute cute little gift, not a not a heart virus. I know.

Chuck (40:54) Yeah, sad things I begged to go on that trip. wow.

Amy (40:57) So now we've learned not to beg to go anymore.

Chuck (40:59) Exactly.

Amy (41:00) Right? Right. So resilience, keeping humor, I do believe y'all can get through anything. You have.

Cindy (41:09) We have. Yeah. I mean I do I do I do think we can. Like I said, there are times when we are just so mentally exhausted. We're like, we just don't wanna do this. But we do it anyway. Right. What are you gonna do? Right. You know. You you you just get thrilling.

Amy (41:25) So what are y'all up to when you're not dealing with livers and kidneys and hearts and eyes and hysterectomies?

Cindy (41:32) You know that that that's a whole other that's

Amy (41:35) Holiday decorating.

Cindy (41:36) that's a whole other part of this life is it's hard to really have a social life in Brantley life because there's just so much going on and it it's always been hard to make plans. If we made plans to go somewhere or do something, something would happen and we'd have to cancel. How many years have we had to cancel vacation? It's been like

five, six years in a row that we planned vacation and we had to cancel it because there was, you know, a funky issue going on with him for something and you know, it was best not to travel. So it's hard. It's hard to have a social life, but you know, so we have our hobbies. You know, you know, I do my thing and Chuck is into three D three D printing. So,

Amy (42:18) Right, right.

Cindy (42:19) you know, we have our hobbies and then, you know, taking care of all the hop the the house and the mishaps of the house.

Amy (42:25) And taking care of your health is like way up there. Yeah.

Cindy (42:29) Yes, and can I just brag on him? I know I brag on him so much, but he is such a great patient. Yes, I think it's so important when I give

Amy (42:37) don't

hear many wives say that. You know that whole manfold thing. And I'm not being all like weird everybody or sexist or anything like that.

Cindy (42:44) He

really is and he listens and he to the doctors and he and he takes care of himself. And I think that's so important when you're given this precious gift of an organ. Yeah. You need to take care of it, right?

Amy (42:57) I mean you're doing something right. You've had it for twenty years. Yeah.

Chuck (43:00) It'll be twenty years in February.

Cindy (43:02) Yes.

And I'm so proud of him.

Amy (43:04) Did you ever get a letter like we did from my friends?

Cindy (43:09) We did not

Chuck (43:09) I don't think so.

Cindy (43:10) We did not.

Amy (43:11) Maybe they you know, maybe because of HIPAA or I don't know. I don't know. I don't think that would've portrayed that but maybe

Chuck (43:16) I

think if I remember correctly, it has to come from the donor family. I see. They have to okay. And

Amy (43:22) This is

Chuck (43:22) they have to request the share information. I got some brief information from the donor a long time ago, but never got specifics. Right.

Cindy (43:33) Just to talk about something very quickly about the donation, you know, when he was when he finally the the the perfect heart came, and I'll say this, you know, they turned down a couple hearts because they just weren't good enough. And when they found the heart, the n you know the transplant coordinator came in and said, you know, Dr. So and so just called and he said it's the most beautiful heart he's ever seen. Which just but

Amy (43:58) Yeah.

Cindy (44:00) when he

you know, when it when it was fixing to happen and he knew a heart was coming, he got really upset and he was, you know, there were tears coming down his eyes and he said, But somebody had to die for me to get this and he felt guilty. But, you know, the transplant coordinator was like, What? This person was going to die whether or not you received the heart or not. So, you know

Amy (44:22) Right.

Kind of like survivor guilt. Survivor. I'm I can see that. Somebody gave up their life. Yeah. And now I'm I'm yeah, and and and as yeah, I could see and as as a f a friend of someone who donated, I know that she would have wanted that for others. Yeah. But I could see like a sort of like an organ recipient guilt. I'm s yeah. I I'm sure there's gotta be like groups for that, like not grief groups, but support groups. Probably.

Cindy (44:51) Yeah.

Chuck (44:52) I know there are. I actually never joined one though 'cause, you know, had to work, had to do other stuff, had kids on the way. Yeah. So to take the time away to, you know

Amy (45:01) Imagine Brantley life getting in the way of doing

Cindy (45:04) And that.

Amy (45:05) something for for you. But okay, we could talk all day. We I mean

Chuck (45:13) Alright.

Amy (45:14) there's a lot to unpack. But towards the end of my podcast, I do rapid fire. Don't panic. Everybody enjoys them. And it's a this or that or a question or two.

And you can disagree on them if you want answers or you can agree.

Cindy (45:31) Little we just agree, Yan.

Amy (45:34) or you can just say, I have no clue. And they don't have to be one some people are like, Do I have to answer in one word? I'm like, No. Laugh or cry. Yeah, I knew that. I had to give you an easy one. And fight or flight.

Chuck (45:51) F

Cindy (45:52) Yeah.

Amy (45:53) How do you celebrate your wins?

Cindy (45:59) That's a hard one. That is a hard one. I don't think we do celebrate I don't think there's time to celebrate the w

Chuck (46:05) Yeah.

Cindy (46:06) I mean I think it just a with a sigh of relief, like we did it.

Chuck (46:10) Pretty much you get over one hump and get ready for the next one.

Amy (46:14) Get ready for the next one. See,

Cindy (46:15) Yeah.

Amy (46:15) I was thinking more like prayers of Thanksgiving. But I like it. Get ready for the next one.

Chuck (46:22) It feels like

Amy (46:25) Who's the tougher of the two of you?

You can say you if you think it. I think you're pretty cool over there.

Yeah. Well maybe it's a tie. Is it a tie?

Cindy (46:41) Maybe a tie. I mean that yeah.

Amy (46:44) You got marriage advice in one sentence? Couple sentences?

Cindy (46:48) Gamework.

Chuck (46:49) Yeah, pretty much.

Cindy (46:51) It's not all about you. You're y you're together.

Amy (46:55) I love that. And some of the strongest marriages that I know, myself included, I think I have a strong marriage. I mean you could ask Sean, he might disagree, but I think he would. Yeah. My daughter in law's mom was we were supposed to give advice at one of her shower of the bridal showers. And Beth said, you know, it's you're you're a team. And I love that they've instilled that in her daughter because they Emily will bring that into the marriage. That's great. And I feel like I think

My son has gotten that from us too. Right. But I love that that was her first piece of advice

Cindy (47:30) Absolutely.

Amy (47:31) for her daughter at that shower. So usually when you look at successful marriages, teamwork is in there. And I love that I love that. Parenting advice in one sentence.

Chuck (47:45) Patience.

Amy (47:47) Don't pray for patience though. Just have it, right? Pretty much. 'Cause they say if you pray for it, you're gonna be given a read.

Cindy (47:53) So agree, patience. Patience Patience is the key, especially with four boys.

Amy (47:58) And all all your boys are different. Like all my boys are I have two and they're totally different. They absolutely are. And while you parent them the same, you parent them differently. And your four boys have been through a di a lot of different phases with you guys. Because you're you're older too, were how old when all this happened?

Cindy (48:17) Well one one it was just starting college and one was at ninth grade at C PHS. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So I mean we had, you know, a what, a freshm college freshman, a freshman high school, a five year old and then I was pregnant.

Amy (48:33) The new boy. So what's the age gap between youngest and oldest?

Chuck (48:38) Twenty one years.

Cindy (48:40) been doing this a long time. You still do it. That's why you still have my own. That's why I knew

Amy (48:45) You

could give parenting advice. I knew you'd have it in there.

Cindy (48:48) Yeah,

been doing it for a long time and the youngest, Carter, you know, the one that I was pregnant with, thank God, you know, he is born healthy, but he does have developmental delays and major learning disabilities. So, you know, it's been a s different with him.

Amy (49:06) Again, on the sidelines, everybody. I have watched them on the side, of course. I'm not in your home, but embrace him for who he is. Yes. And that not everybody does that or wants to do that. And you have. You meet him where he is. Yeah. And I loved all of your stuff about his graduation this year and how you don't know what his future looks like. But it's doesn't have to be negative. Right. Right.

Cindy (49:32) And he's a work in progress.

And, you know, since he is developmentally delayed, he's behind a few years in, you know, development. So you ha it you know. Although, you know, we still treat him like the other ones. Right. As far as discipline. He doesn't get any special treatment. Right. You know. Right. But it's just different.

Amy (49:52) And I mean I have you know, different different kids, you know, my younger one, yeah, I I let watch certain like Star Wars movies when he's probably too young. Yeah. You know, yeah. Where the older one, I'd be like, No, you can't watch it till you're this age or you know, you'd kinda change, but then the older you get, it's like then you can kind of see the benefits of all that you've done with them and and you're seeing that now, despite developmental delays.

Cindy (50:17) Right, right. You know, and he he's very creative and artistic and he's always loved, you know

Amy (50:24) That's

genetics. Yeah, yeah. Between the two of you.

Cindy (50:27) Can't tell you how many costumes I have made for that boy. Every week it was something different. Now he's actually making, you know, his own costumes. But so many costumes because he's just into the whole, you know, drama and Yeah.

Amy (50:40) Speaking of the medieval stuff, right? Like has

he ever gone to that medieval castle in in Middle Tennessee? Yep. Yes.

Cindy (50:47) We've

been to lots of castles,

Chuck (50:49) Okay.

Cindy (50:50) lots of Renaissance festivals, medieval times. I think we've been to almost everyone in the country.

Amy (50:57) Well you well, that the one in Middle Tennessee, it's so intriguing because when we go to Murfreesboro to see Chris, we'll be like well, first time we're like, Is that a castle? Yeah, we're getting closer. Wait, that is a that looks like a medieval castle. And it's just in the middle of nowhere.

Chuck (51:12) Severing Arrington, Tennessee, and that's where they have the Medieval Festival.

Cindy (51:15) But and yeah, he has been into that since he before he was walking.

Amy (51:19) It was a little night.

Chuck (51:21) So

it all got started. I was watching Chronicles of Narnia. Okay. He came in, sat on the coffee table and did not move for two hours. And ever since then he's been into swords.

Cindy (51:32) I think he was eighteen months old.

Amy (51:34) Interesting. Yeah. Narnia's good.

Chuck (51:36) Stuck with him.

Amy (51:37) You never know what's behind the wardrobe.

What would be a general life message for people to close things out? What's a general besides being having a teamwork marriage, humor and resilience, what's what's like one thing, what's one piece of advice? And it doesn't have to be mutual advice. It can be advice that you both have.

Chuck (52:03) For me, staying positive, staying focused, and always working towards a goal. That's what keeps me going.

Amy (52:11) and that heart. Right. Yeah, that heart's keeping you going. Literally.

Cindy (52:18) Faith Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Of course, staying positive and f fighting to get there. Yes. Don't give up. I

Amy (52:26) Right, don't

Cindy (52:27) said we all we we have our moments, but you snap out of it.

Amy (52:31) Right. Well I always say, you know, you can be you can I always tell my boys this and I I genuinely anybody who knows me knows I live this way. You can you can be sad, you can struggle, but you can't get stuck and stay there. Exactly.

Cindy (52:43) Yes. Exactly.

Amy (52:44) You can't get stuck and stay there. Exactly. When my mom passed away last October, right before the holidays and all the all these things, I was like, I refuse to have sad holidays for my family. And I refuse like I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm not gonna stay stuck.

Cindy (52:59) Exactly. This is why we give a launch at the end.

Amy (53:01) That's where we get along. And

it doesn't but it doesn't mean that not staying stuck is easy. That's it's hard.

Cindy (53:07) That's the biggest part is hard. The kind it like I don't want to say irritates me when I hear people say this, but you know, if something major happens again after everything we've been through and I get the and you people are trying to be kind, but you know, it's just another bump in the road for the Brantleys, you know. And I'm like

Amy (53:25) Yeah.

Cindy (53:26) you don't understand. I don't wanna go over and you know, it's not easy. And I think that and I've even been told this, I I've been told by people that it

Looks like it's easy for us. We make it look easy. And it's not, but it's not easy.

Amy (53:42) It's not easy.

Well and nobody does in social media. Nobody sees the up the all the ups and downs and the

Cindy (53:49) You know, nobody really wants to see that aspect of it. They I think people like to see the good outcome of things which I understand. Right. But there's a lot that it took to get there.

Amy (53:59) Right. Right. But yeah, I you know, say it's like that whole like, you know, it's easier said than done. Yeah. Not being stuck takes a lot of mental tonight.

Cindy (54:08) Yeah.

Amy (54:09) yes. and there have been times in my life, especially last fall, where I had n I had no idea how strong I am until losing my mom suddenly. I had no idea. Yes. I had no idea that I carried other people during that time. Yes. I didn't know that some of my own friends were coming to me.

For help like, you know, to make I made them feel better by being strong. I ha you you know, you don't know how strong you are do you have to be. Absolutely. And you have been pounded this since I well, that's why I know you. Because Sean wouldn't have come home from work talking about someone with a sniffle. Yeah. And

Cindy (54:44) Because Cheng and Sean used to work together.

Amy (54:46) he was super concerned. And I'm like, who are these people? I remember I remember sitting in my old house in the kitchen, like feeding my toddl the then toddler.

who would have been five years old or a little older than a toddler at that point. I remember feeding him sitting in the kitchen in my old house, hearing this story, going, What? And she's pregnant? He was really freaked out about that for you. Right. That she was pregnant and like what if, all the what ifs. Yeah. So there was a lot of concern and, you know, if Sean's concerned, everyone should be concerned. Because he doesn't do that.

Cindy (55:22) And at the time you guys weren't even working together anymore because I had moved on to a different country.

Chuck (55:27) I had left. I hadn't been that long though, been maybe a year, year and a half. Yeah. But we worked in separate groups but we're in the same general vicinity. Yeah. So we would run across each other and got to know each other.

Cindy (55:38) So

I that's why you and I had never met because they weren't working together anymore. So but yeah. But I'm glad I didn't like the circumstances, but then

Amy (55:46) I know. God puts people in people's paths at interesting moments for interesting reasons and times and none of it is coincidence or accidental. It's all intentionally done. And that's the beauty of it. But you're so inspiring. thank you. And motivating and much admiration from me to you that I mean, it's kind of surreal to think like you're sitting at my table right now and you have like multiple organ pants.

And like no one walking around, no one would know that about you. No. No one knows. You don't have a p T shirt that says, Hey, I've got organs.

Chuck (56:23) Yes.

I was actually there's a new guy that's in my group and we he's we just we got to get to know each other some. And I don't know how we got on the topic. We were talking about something and I started I think yes about my And so I went back through like the very, you know, thirty second store and he was like, What?

Amy (56:41) It's a lot.

Chuck (56:41) It's a lot of Yeah, there's a lot that's going on with me. He's like, I I never wanna know.

Cindy (56:46) He's a walking miracle. Right. He is. They facet

Amy (56:48) Literally are.

Cindy (56:49) I can't even count on two hands the amount of times that he literally died. They had to, you know, resuscitate. And like it

Amy (56:58) You're a nine life kind of guy. Yeah.

Cindy (57:00) Yeah, it's amazing. He's a mu

Amy (57:02) And that that, you know, and when I when I contacted you wanting you to come on the show about organ transplant, I wanted you to come on too about the resilience and about there's such a message here. There's such a message in so many, you know, life is gonna have the downs and the valleys and you know, it's a matter of how you get through a friend, my friend Lauren said, I swear twenty years ago, and I still remember this, I I apply this.

Daily life is about how you handle plan B. Yep. And I love that message. Because A is gonna go great. It's a matter of how you're gonna are you gonna fall and s and down and be miserable and cry and stuck with B are you gonna make the most of it or you gonna get through it? Exactly. And so Thanks Lauren. Shout out to Lauren McGee.

Chuck (57:47) The transplant nurses used to call miss a couple of years after transplant and they were like, Hey, I've got somebody your a your age here. Can you come talk to Mm. 'Cause they don't know what to expect. Go and talk to them. So would go and talk to and experience. Yeah. Tell you know, things will get better. It may be slow, but you just have to stay positive.

Cindy (58:06) considered him a legend, you know, he would he he would walk into someone's room a patient and they're like, yeah, you're the legend. You're an election chuck baby.

Amy (58:14) didn't really plan on being famous for but how nice that you could pay that yeah or

Chuck (58:19) And I'm still like one of my nurses today is actually still one of my nurses at my cardiologist. Twenty years later, I'm still talking to the people that took care of me.

Amy (58:27) Wow.

Cindy (58:28) And you know, I just sometimes, you know, h I'll I'll see him out working in the yard or washing the cars and I'm I he he probably doesn't know this, but I get tears in my eyes and I just say, you know, thank you. Thank you, God for letting Chris keep him. Just thank

Amy (58:42) You

and you show your grateful heart. You've showed it for the twenty years I've known you. Which that really makes us sound old that I've known twenty years? What on earth? Well, everybody, I just let's just be like Brantleys, except when they have houses gutted and

Chuck (59:00) Car's right.

Amy (59:01) and organ donations and cancer. Let's let's avoid those. But you know, choose the resilience. If you would like to be on the podcast.

You can reach me at am y K E Y S podcast at gmail dot com. That is Amy Keyspodcast at gmail dot com. Any topic or subject or ministry, we'd love to have you on. You can listen on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible, Amazon Radio. And I'm just gonna encourage you to be an organ donor. Look into it. It's not difficult to be one.

I'm going to encourage you to stand tall. Don't get stuck. Be resilient. Be positive. And remember that marriage is all about teamwork, right, Brantley?

Cindy (59:49) Correct.

Amy (59:50) So thanks for coming on today. Thanks for having us. had great messages. I know we probably could have talked about the health portion of this for three hours. All day. All day. Yeah.

Cindy (1:00:00) probably all day. There's some crazy stories in

Amy (1:00:04) So we might have to have you on again. But you know, it's

It's a great hour and it goes by fast. It does. Doesn't it? When you're talking about talking about all this. So everybody, thanks for listening. Be an organ donor. And till next time.