Willstrop's Basking Turtle Books

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Willstrop's Basking Turtle Books

Retired professional modern dancer and high school English teacher, now author.

05/05/2026

I hadn't checked my reviews in a while. Last night I looked through Goodreads and found this lovely review from Yvette M Gonzalez , one of my HCHS grads from LONG ago. Please take a moment to read it.

05/04/2026

Today is the TENTH kidneyversary for Bob's and my kidney transplant. He named the kidney Bernice. Sadly, Bernice failed a bit over a year ago, but I talked Bob into home hemodialysis for long enough to get his affairs in order. (Much had changed in home dialysis since 2016.) He controls his calendar this way, but he did not want to control mine (I had to train as his caregiver to stick him). He has a 3D printer, so he invented an external clamp to hold his old wobbly vein in place to allow his non-dominate hand (with essential tremers) and his poor eyesight STICK HIMSELF in about 1 1/2 minutes. We now have a patent pending and incorporation...working on FDA paperwork next. Now he has more affairs to get in order, so maybe I'll be able to keep my best friend for a bit longer.

A fictionalized version of our transplant is in my novel WHEN THE WATERS TAKE US, which debuted two years ago today.

05/01/2026

On this last day of Donate Life month, I want to mention the Living Donor Protection Act. My novel WHEN THE WATERS TAKE US addresses many of the complications faced by living donors. In the "Afterward," I provide a call to action to write Congress regarding the Living Donor Protection Act.
****The Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA) has been debated in Congress for 20 years! Living donors DO occasionally have health and psychological complications. They have no FEDERAL protections, not even guarantees for continued life insurance. "The Act is specifically designed to remove one of the most frequently cited barriers among altruistic living organ donors – the fear and uncertainty surrounding potential insurance discrimination, or loss, based solely on their decision to donate an organ" (LaCivita, Brendan, National and Medical Media Specialist for the American Association for Kidney Patients. "Kidney Patients Praise U.S. Senators for Vote to Protect Living Organ Donors," Media release. 27 Feb 2026).
As of March 2026, the Act made it through the Senate committee and is recommended to the full chamber for further discussion. This is actually positive.
One donor can save 8 lives and enhance the lives of 75 more.
• 1954 - First successful living-donor kidney transplant
• 1989 - First successful living-donor liver transplant
• 1990 - First successful living-donor lung transplant
*360 people in the U.S. begin dialysis for kidney failure every day.

04/22/2026

It is still Donate Life Month. Earlier this month I said one donor can save 8 lives and enhance the lives of 75 others. I was recently the recipient of a tendon in my foot. My life was certainly enhanced. AND I still have my best friend (and personal chef) because of my kidney donation.

Did you know one person can donate so much?

When deceased:
• Kidneys (2)
• Liver
• Lungs (2)
• Heart
• Pancreas
• Intestines
• Hands and Face
• Corneas
• The middle ear
• Skin
• Heart valves
• Bone
• Veins
• Cartilage
• Tendons
• Ligaments

While living:
• One kidney
• One lung
• A part of the liver
• A part of the pancreas
• A part of the intestine
• Blood
• Platelets
• Blood stem cells
• Cord Blood
• Bone marrow

Read my novel WHEN THE WATERS TAKE US for insights into living kidney donation.

(Please share.)

04/12/2026

Did you know?

*Another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 8 minutes.
*13 people die each day while waiting for a transplant.
*Over 5600 people in the U.S. die each year while on the transplant waiting list.
(Statistics from Donate Life.)

April is Donate Life Month.

WHEN THE WATERS TAKE US: available online and at The Twig and Pages for Ages in San Antonio.

04/09/2026

April is Donate Life Month!

Did you know?

“More than 260,000 Americans are living with a kidney transplant" (National Forum of ESRD Network).

The picture is of me, my Chef Bob, and Dr. Riad (our transplant doctor).

(Please share.)

04/05/2026

Did you know?
One donor can save 8 lives and enhance the lives of 75 more.

Tonight to honor DONATE LIFE month, I shall very briefly tell my recent story. Most of you know 10 years ago I was able to save my best friend's life by donating a kidney. I still have my Chef Bob because of that. But that's not tonight's story.

Shortly before Thanksgiving last fall, I was sitting in a recliner watching TV, minding my own business, being a total couch potato, when I got a really bad cramp in the calf muscle along the side of my leg. (And you say, "How bad was it?") It was so bad that it tore the anterior tibialis tendon. (That's the tendon along the top off the ankle that allows one to flex the foot to be able to walk). That cramp gave me drop foot! I could not walk unless I marched to get my foot up and slung my leg enough to get the foot in position to step, or I could wear a brace for the rest of my life.

Pay attention now...HERE'S THE POINT: a surgeon replaced my torn tendon with one from a deceased donor! I AM NOW A RECIPIENT OF THE GIFT OF LIFE. No, my life was not threatened, but my lifestyle certainly was. Surgery, a boot with no weight, and months of PT later, I can walk without a brace. I was given a card with a third party where I could write to the family of the deceased to thank them. I KNOW what it means to give AND to receive. I wrote to them immediately.

Please make your intentions known to your family so they don't have to make it for you. Marking your driver's license is not always sufficient. Organs, yes, but also corneas, arteries, tendons, bones, skin, and so much more can allow others to thrive! Be an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

Go to RegisterMe.org today, right now. Don't forget!

04/03/2026

Did you know that I am the first breast cancer survivor in America allowed to donate a kidney?

Join me this month in spreading transplant awareness during Donate Life Month.

Did you know tha according to the U.S. Renal Data System, “More than 260,000 Americans are living with a kidney transplant."

This is in my "factual fiction" novel WHEN THE WATERS TAKE US.

Available at Pages for Ages and The Twig in San Antonio and your favorite online stores.

03/16/2026

What a lovely day for a book signing at The Twig! Cool thing: two of my HCHS grads showed up. Brenda Neifer Rayburg from the class of '89 actually bought a book there Friday and came back today just to say hello. I'm so honored. And George Frank Long, class of '95) brought his son and daughter. George bought THREE books so that his kids could have signed additions from his high school English teacher. The kids are young, so it'll be a while before they are ready. What a sweet guy!

I talked with several people about kidney disease awareness, especially since March is Kidney Disease Awareness month. One lady's entire family has dealt with kidney disease. Another had a friend in the SAPD who donated a kidney to another officer. Another's sister had a heart transplant. Another's friend donated to her mother. And on and on. Soooo many stories.

Anyway...lovely weather and great talks.

03/15/2026

Book Signing Sunday, March 15, 1:30-3:30 at The Twig Book Shop @ The Pearl.
Beautiful weather, great day for The Pearl's Weekend Market, lunch, boat ride on The River.

Kidney Stat for the day: 360 people in the U.S. begin dialysis every day.

Address

306 Pearl Pkwy Ste 106
San Antonio, TX
78215

Website

https://books2read.com/Willstrop, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210687527-when-the-waters-take-us

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