[Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers 01] • Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers

A young, hopeful doctor s memoir an unforgettable love story and an informative journey into the world of medicine and kidney transplantation that ultimately asks: What does it mean to let go of something that you love, even if it is life itself?

When Vanesa fell in love with Robert, she had no idea that the relationship would thoroughly transform her life. Robert suffered from end-stage kidney disease, which required him to endure years of debilitating dialysis to stay alive, at least until his failed organ could be replaced by a kidney transplant. Although Vanesa was a primary care doctor, she developed a deeper understanding of the difficulties Robert faced with dialysis and in finding a donor. Despite their being early in their relationship, she volunteered one of her own kidneys and discovered that she was a match. This life-affirming experience forged a bond that would become a pillar of Vanesa and Robert s marriage and the beginning of her new career.

Motivated by Robert s experience and her newfound knowledge, Vanesa became a nephrologist a kidney doctor and discovered far more about the realities of the specialty. Shaped by Vanesa s remarkable experiences as a doctor, a woman of color, a mother, and a kidney donor, Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers is a love story, an expose, and a clarion call for us all to consider the dualities of both loving and letting go.

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