TeamColby52

We never would have thought that Hockey would save Colby's life but that is exactly what happened. A hockey injury SAVED Colby's life.

Our family has been dedicated Carolina Hurricanes hockey fans for many years. Colby began playing hockey at age 8 for the Junior Hurricanes House League and after 6 seasons of playing, we never expected that hockey would save his life. On February 15, 2015, Colby sustained a severe back trauma after a body check during his game. He was unable to feel his legs and was taken by ambulance to the emer

gency department, where he eventually regained sensation and was able to walk out of the ER later that evening. Throughout the summer of 2015, everything seemed normal. Once hockey evaluations began in September 2015, Colby reported having continued symptoms of numbness to his legs, which required him to be evaluated immediately. It was unexpectedly discovered during further testing that Colby had a rare congenital liver abnormality called congenital absence of the portal vein with extrahepatic portosystemic shunting. He was first seen at WakeMed and referred to Duke University Pediatric Liver Transplant Team. After months of testing, it was determined that liver transplantation was the only option. He was approved for listing to the transplant database on February 16, 2016 - exactly one year and one day after his injury. He was officially listed into the United Network for Organ Sharing database on February 22, 2016. Exactly 90 days later on May 22, 2016, he received the gift of LIFE from his liver donor hero. Colby's transplant recovery has been phenomenal and he has been able to return to the sport of hockey that initially saved his life. Our donor and donor family have been in our hearts since we received that fateful call at 1238 pm on May 22, 2016. We will continue to honor Colby's donor and donor family by showing how organ donation saves lives. Register to be someone's HERO, register to be an organ donor. Colby's liver transplant has been a physical, emotional and financial life long commitment to provide for the best possible outcome. This fundraising will help offset the costs associated with the transplant, as well as expensive anti-rejection medications to be taken for the rest of his life. We have received an enormous outpouring of love and support thus far, for which we are extremely grateful for. We are thankful for any monetary donations given, and above all, we will honor and treasure Colby's future donor and the sacrifice this person and their family makes to save Colby's life - a son, brother, nephew, cousin, grandson and friend to so many.

05/23/2022

Transplant Update #47
2,191 days with our angel donor Nina
1,815 days with our donor family

“Moments to Live For”

Six years ago today, at 7:27 pm, Colby was taken to the operating room at Duke University Hospital to receive the precious gift of life from our sweet angel donor Nina.

It’s so surreal how time seems to go slow and fast interchangeably.

Six years. Nina and our donor family gifted us six more years of moments to live for with Colby. To make the most honorable of decisions in the darkest hour of their lives was tremendous. We are so fortunate to have them in our life, our village as they get to see Colby grow in the amazing young man he is.

We’ve had lots of moments to live for since our last annual update. The pandemic paused a lot of plans for Colby for flight school and being able to adventure out in the world to experience life as an adult.

We are so very proud of all that he has accomplished this far. He is very responsible with his health. Loved by many. Still a devoted Carolina Hurricanes hockey fan (well… we all are)

Now, he has been able to move forward with his aspirations with help from his big sister and brother in law (our daughter Kristyn and son in law Eric). He is seeking out new opportunities in a new town living life with Kristyn and Eric. More hopeful plans for flight school and maybe some extra adult hockey league in the future.

We couldn’t be more proud of him 💚💙

We also know these several days each year in May are emotional and bittersweet. We pause and send love to our donor family who mourn the loss of Nina, while also knowing they love the bonus son they have gained. Please send them all the love as they navigate this difficult time each year.

Our 6 year TeamColby52 video will be posted in the coming days.

6 years ago tonight is where it began 💚💙

Much love and big hugs always,
Naomi, Colby’s Mom

05/22/2021

Transplant Update #46
1,826 days with our angel donor Nina
1,710 days with our donor family

"Beautiful Day"

Today marks exactly 5 years since Colby received a life saving liver transplant from our sweet angel donor Nina.

We know and understand over the past year how difficult it can be for people to recognize the beautiful days when so much tragedy and hard times have been endured. We are also grateful for all of you who have continued to push through the hard times to find the beautiful days. We are so proud of you.

Five years ago, at this exact moment while waiting for Colby to be taken back to the operating room, we absorbed the stillness of the pre-op holding area. The beauty of life being gifted from one to another. We gained a tremendous perspective that while we are absolutely allowed to have down and difficult days, we will always try to find the positives in each day that Colby has been given a second chance at life.

This past year has been especially challenging for us as he is immune supressed in a pandemic. We have been able to keep him healthy and well despite the major barriers the world is going through.

We personally, as a hockey family, also suffered an incredible loss. Colby's childhood hockey friend Owen Livernois unexpectedly passed away on October 4, 2020. Owen had an infectious smile and a heart the size of the globe. It was in fact his parents Shaun and Jamie, as well as his brother and our fellow hockey family Michael and Jen Ranger who stood strongly by our sides during the very difficult days of Colby being incredibly sick while waiting for a transplant.

Shaun, Jamie, Michael and Jen, as well as the hockey boys, would come pick Colby up to take him to the rink. While he was on the transplant waiting list, they ensured that he was still included with his teammates and the game we love so much.

It is our turn to stand beside our hockey family. To Shaun, Jamie and Justin... we love you and will always be here to support you, hold you up and get you out of the house.

Just as you did for Colby. And for us. We will continue to spread Owen's legacy and memories.

We have included a tribute to Owen in our 5th transplant anniversary video ❤

Colby is now on his way to pursing his dream of being a pilot and flew a plane for the first time this past week... with help of course. We could not be more proud of his adventurous soul and the incredible human that he is.

We know the world is hard right now. But we ask that perhaps we try to find at least one positive each day. Because we are reminded that because of our sweet Nina and our incredible donor family, we have but each one more day with Colby. Don't take them for granted and appreciate the ones you have in it. Love them hard and tell them.

We thank you so much for always following our journey and supporting us through beautiful and hard times. Please send love and hugs to our donor family as they navigate this difficult time each year.

Much love and big hugs always,
Naomi, Colby's Mom

On 05/22/2016, Colby received the gift of life of a liver transplant because of organ donation. Today, 5 years later, he is living life to the fullest becau...

02/23/2021

"Synchronicities"

February 22 is a fateful day in our hockey house.

On February 22, 2016, Colby was officially placed into the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database to wait for a life saving liver transplant. That day, he became one of the "every 10 minutes a person is added to the waiting list" person. With uncertainty ahead, we kept his routine as normal as possible, sending him to school after his required lab draws. And then we waited. Because of his condition, he was unable to play hockey as a Junior Hurricane while waiting for this gift of life. So he worked as a scorekeeper at the local hockey rink... to keep the comradarie of his hockey friends/family, while uncertain of the future of his health as his liver labs worsened. And 90 days later, our sweet angel Nicole (also known as Nina) saved his life, as well as three others.

Exactly one year ago today, February 22, 2020, a once-in-a-lifetime event occurred for our beloved Carolina Hurricanes in Toronto, Ontario Canada during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After both goalies went out with injuries, our EBUG (emergency backup goalie) came down to save the day.

David Ayres, a practice goalie for the Toronto Marlies and former Zamboni driver, made his NHL debut for our team... and we won 6-3!!! You see, David is also a kidney transplant recipient, receiving the gift of life from his mom

Almost a year later, the story of Dave Ayres and his improbable victory, while serving as Emergency Goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes, is the stuff of L...

05/23/2020

Transplant Update #45
1,462 days with our donor angel Nina
1,086 days with our Donor Family

"I Lived"

**Kleenex warning**

On May 22, 2016, at 1238 pm, we received a call that would change our lives forever. Colby had been listed into the UNOS database on February 22, 2016 to wait for a life-saving liver transplant.

On May 22, 2016, that call came. And it was a perfect match.

For the past four years, our family - our village - has been able to experience so much with Colby being gifted LIFE by sweet Nina. We have been able to meet our donor family. And if you have followed our journey from the start, you will fully know that we have loved them, honored them, and are forever grateful for their love they extending through organ donation in their darkest hour.

Colby has become their bonus son. Our village has become bigger, stronger, more fierce, and infinitely loved. We have friends who have become our family, and we are so incredibly honored to have them in this village of ours.

As I sat in the surgical waiting room with my sister Natasha, I vowed that we would absorb every second life had to offer once Colby was well enough to experience it. We would honor his donor's legacy every single day. And we do.

Nina's favorite color was pink, and I wear pink socks to work every shift to honor her. We've recognized the synchronicities of life that have happened over the past four years. His hockey number is 52, the call came on 5/22. My sister Nina has the same name as our sweet angel donor Nina. Colby's grandmother Mimi shares the same name as our donor Mom, Mimi. We see these every day and are in awe of the beauty that organ donation has brought to our family. We are so incredibly fortunate to have not only been able to meet our donor family but to become so close to them.

We are so grateful for those of you that have walked this journey with us, either from the beginning or somewhere in the middle. We love each and every one of you for always supporting us through amazing times and rough times.

Our village goal is to soak in every second of every day that life has to offer. Sweet Nina did the same in her short 10 years of life - she was full of zest, loved all things brightly colored, and loved deeply.

So on this 4th year (and 1 day) anniversary of Colby's successful transplant, we give you his latest video in the YouTube link below. We have included some new precious faces, some faces who have been there from the start, and lots of life Colby has been able to experience because Kendall and Mimi said "YES" to save the lives of four others through Nina.

Colby has lived more than most adults will ever experience in 3 lifetimes or more. And he is doing it as the most humble human, completely loved and adored by so many. He continues to live life in honor of Nina and continue her legacy and zest for adventure and all things brightly colored.

We love you all. Register to be an organ donor. Our village has.

Much love and big hugs always,
Naomi, Colby's Mom

"I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived" - OneRepublic

https://youtu.be/9OVlWlmoD-M

05/22/2020

At this exact moment 4 years ago, we were waiting on the pediatric floor and moved to the pre-op holding area after receiving the call that a donor became available to save Colby’s life.

Little did we know at that moment, but have come to know now, is that our sweet angel donor Nina had just completed her last heroic act on this earth... Gifting LIFE so four others may live.

As we waited in the eerily quiet pre-op holding area on that fateful Sunday evening, we distinctly remember all of the pagers simultaneously going off of all the staff present.

And a soothing voice of Colby’s nurse who said “It’s a go”. We will never forget those words.

We will never forget those moments of being present with one another, Aunt Nina and Aunt Natasha, Drake and Kristyn and myself by Colby’s side to send him off to the OR for what became a 12 hour successful transplant surgery.

And nope, you couldn’t get Aunt Tashie off his bed or leave his side, even during his IV placement 🤭

We chose to throw one nickel (5) and two pennies (2) into the fountain in the lobby in honor of Colby and his donor & donor family prior to his surgery, for his hockey number 52 and the fateful day four years ago today we received that call, 5/22/2016.

So we leave you with a few photos of us surrounding him with love, despite his funny faces to us. We also ask that your wrap our donor family in love and hugs for these hard days that come every year at this time. We are so grateful for them in our lives.

Stay tuned.... tomorrow we will be posting his 4th year video compilation and our numbered transplant update. Kleenex warning 💗

Much love and many hugs to all who have loved us, supported us and walked this journey with us,

Love, Naomi
Colby’s Mom

02/24/2020

This is a truly heartwarming, incredible and inspiring story.

David Ayres, a 42 year old kidney recipient, junior hockey coach and Zamboni driver was called in as an emergency goalie for our beloved Hurricanes this past Saturday night.

And we won!!!!❤️ 🏒 ❤️

This is what dreams are made of. And our sport of hockey and being a hockey family has been a tremendous support for us during Colby’s journey.

Save a life. Register to be an organ donor.

And play hockey. It’s never to late to start ❤️🏒

Carolina Hurricanes

David Ayres, a 42-year-old father of three, said he was "terrified" when he was put into an NHL game as an emergency goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend.

07/17/2019

When it’s said that a picture speaks a thousand words... well this one speaks a million.

Colby and Sofie - Two amazing kiddos who received a second chance at life while standing in front of loggerhead baby turtle nests waiting to begin life 🐢 💗

Colby received his life saving liver transplant 3 years ago at Duke. Sofie received her life saving liver transplant as an infant at Duke.

We got to visit our dear friend and fellow transplant mom Melissa today - Sofie’s Mom. She took us on a tour of the loggerhead sea turtle nests on Bald Head Island

It would not have been possible without the love and courage of our donors and donor families to see these kids have this precious moment 💙💚

Save a life. Be a donor.

If you would like to support sea turtle care and conservation efforts by amazing people, please donate at the link posted 🐢💗

Address

700 Federal Rd
Bald Head Island, NC
28461

Website

http://Www.gofundme.com/teamcolby52

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