It is hard to believe that it is now just over a year since Jack had his transplant! But what a year it has been and what a lot Jack has achieved.  He has learned to talk, to walk and to eat!  He still has to take a lot of medicines to stop him rejecting the kidney and to control his blood pressure, but he doesn't seem to mind, it's just part of his daily life!
Unfortunately we didn't make it to the Transplant Games in Newcastle at the end of July due to the fact that both Jack and his sister Louise got the chicken pox!! Never mind perhaps we will get there next year.
Early in November Jack was admitted to hospital on a couple of occasions because he was poorly with infections, a side effect of the medication he is on is reduced immunity to infections, so he picks up things more easily than most children.  Jack started at the village playgroup in September and he really enjoys it and seems to be able to hold his own.
Thanks to the Trustees of Jack's Trust Fund, we received some money recently to help cover the huge costs of all that travelling up and down to Bristol last year, plus we bought Jack a tympanic

thermometer and the Trust covered the cost of the engraved plaque which we had put onto his dialysis machine.
We are now in contact with the donor family, and it is nice to be able to show them what a huge difference it has made to Jack's little life and it seems to help them deal with the tragic loss of their child.  They are very keen to meet Jack one day which would be lovely. So what does 2001 hold for Jack?  Well, believe it or not, he will be starting school in September.  We are waiting for a date for him to go to Bristol for some tests on his bladder, hopefully a relatively minor operation compared to the Transplant!
Thank you to all of you who continue to collect used stamps for us to send to the British Kidney Patients Association, we are very grateful.  Thanks to all our friends for their continuous support and help and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone.

From The Goodland Family.