Since 2002, when I first came to know about Stop Foodborne Illness, I’d donate here and there. And I signed up to receive the eNews. Then, I didn’t do much for awhile.

But, in 2007, Richard was diagnosed with end stage renal disease, which stemmed from the HUS he had endured. Again, I contacted Stop Foodborne Illness for help and was assigned a “mentor” who called me immediately and talked me through what her daughter had been through (and was still suffering with). In those moments, I cannot even begin to describe how much comfort and strength I felt. Someone else really understood our pain and struggle. We weren’t alone.

Following that call, Richard’s health went downhill fast. His kidneys shut down and he was placed on peritoneal dialysis. That meant he did his own dialysis every six hours.

In 2009, Richard received a kidney transplant. However, that brought on major problems. The kidney donor had the Epstein-Barr Virus. Richard had never been exposed to it, which resulted in him developing post-transplant non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was then admitted to the hospital and, on October 19, 2010, I watched my only child die a cruel death that no one should have to endure. The HUS Richard suffered from caused lesions on his liver, spleen, and brain. Six of those lesions burst in his brain. Aneurysms ultimately caused Richard’s death.

Along the way, Stop Foodborne Illness did so much. During an E. coli outbreak near our hometown, one of the local news channels contacted STOP looking for someone to interview. Richard was selected, which helped us feel good about having an opportunity to promote food safety to others. Stop Foodborne Illness also facilitated Senator Dick Durbin’s request to tell Richard’s story on the Senate floor to put a face on foodborne illness when urging Congress to pass the Food Safety Modernization Act.