Super Mario's Incredible Journey

Imagine a life in paradise: surrounded by the beautiful blue Bahamian waters, all the seafood you can eat and hospitality that knows no end. Mario grew up in this paradise and found additional joy in the entertainment industry as a DJ. 

As we all know, sometimes it rains in paradise and occasionally the rain is actually a hurricane. For Mario, the rain began when he was diagnosed with diabetes. His active life continued as usual until he went for a check up and his doctor informed him his kidney health was steadily declining. When the kidneys were only functioning at 30% capacity, Mario entered the world of dialysis.

He was not unfamiliar with this world as his mother had been on dialysis for 17 years. Transitioning from an active entertainer to a man who must sit in a chair for 4 hours, 3 times a week felt like prison.

After a few months on dialysis, Mario made an important decision. He would not be on dialysis forever. He would not follow in his mother’s footsteps and be confined to a chair 12 hours a week. Mario decided he needed a new kidney. So the kidney hunt began. Many of his friends and family got tested to see if they could donate their kidney. Several were a match, but when it came time for them to donate, the fear was greater than their generosity. 

At this point in his journey, Mario was receiving most of his medical care in Florida. A kidney transplant in Florida costs approximately $350,000 with insurance. This cost was going to be a significant barrier to Mario achieving his new kidney dreams, but God sent Mario’s friend with the advice to do his transfer in Turkey, where it would only cost him $22,000. The procedure could now be afforded, but Mario still needed to find someone willing to donate their kidney. 

An old friend of Mario’s volunteered as tribute. He said he would donate his kidney, but he had about $10,000 in debt to clear before he could make a trip overseas. Eager to finish his time in the dialysis world, Mario sent his friend $5,000 with the promise to send another $5,000 once the procedure was done so he could be debt free. That was the last time he heard from that “friend”. Through every rejection, every deception, Mario held firm to the knowledge that God was at work through all circumstances and He does not make mistakes. 

Let us rewind to when Mario decided he needed a kidney. Throughout his dialysis journey, his mother-in-law would check in on him. Making sure he got to his appointments and that he was taking care of himself. She had mentioned she had “the good blood” (universal donor O blood type) and could probably give him a kidney. Mario overlooked her offer as he was already pursuing multiple potential donors. His mother-in-law is in her 70s, so surely a younger kidney would be the best move. As donor by donor dropped out of the race and Mario was asking God “Why Me??”, once again his mother in law offered to get tested. Mario reluctantly accepted her offer and she was a match! She really did have that “good blood”. 

After being on dialysis for only one year, Mario and his mother-in-law flew to Turkey and completed his kidney transplant. A few hours later, Mario had a fully functioning kidney putting out liter upon liter of urine as if it was celebrating coming home. The transfer was a success, but the rain wasn’t done just yet. In December of 2025, Mario noticed a bruise on his toe that didn’t seem to be healing. Concerned with how this would affect the health of his kidney, Mario and his wife flew back to Turkey to get it examined. The doctors informed  him there was a blockage in his leg and there was no way to save his toe. Discouraged by this report, but understanding God is always in control, they flew back to Florida to get a second opinion. The Florida doctors seconded the removal of the toe, but they would go in and try to clear the blockage if possible. During the procedure, they discovered the blockage was affecting all the toes and they would need to remove them all. Devastated by this news, Mario continued to hold fast to the knowledge that God does not make mistakes and if this is part of his journey, it would have purpose. 

After the toes were removed and Mario was recovering, the doctors were concerned that the infection rate in his body was not decreasing. They soon found out the infection had spread to his leg and it would need to be amputated 5-inches below the knee. Mario and his wife could not believe it. They had not signed up for this journey, they could not understand why this was their story, but they pressed on knowing God would make a way. Initially, they did a round of antibiotics to see if the infection would clear, but the numbers were not improving. Ultimately, they agreed to amputate the leg. The doctors told him if he had waited one month longer to get his toe checked out, his life would have been in danger. Feeling grateful to still have life, Mario is now recovering from his amputation and is waiting for complete healing before he can get his prosthetic. He’s overjoyed that he can still walk and that he has officially escaped the world of dialysis.

When I asked Mario how he remained in such good spirits through the hurricane, he reminded me that through it all he knew God doesn’t make mistakes.