Celebrating life at 12,500 Feet

“I love adrenaline, speed, everything,” Adam Carpenter shared.  Bucket list items for him included bungee jumping and riding on an airplane.  Little did he know how special that first plane ride would be.

Adam received a kidney transplant from his sister in 2008 after being on dialysis.  It lasted until 2013.  At that point, he went back on dialysis which required him to be hooked up to a machine 3 to 5 hours a day several days a week.  While grateful to have access to dialysis, he was thrilled when he received his second transplant, his “second chance at life,” on August 10, 2014. 

He celebrates his transplant anniversary every year, but wanted something special for 2020.  Unfortunately there is nowhere close to him that offers bungee jumping.  He had been following the Piedmont page on Facebook for a while trying to work up the nerve to go skydiving.  When he saw the Black Friday deal offered around Thanksgiving, he jumped on it.  Adam recalled, “I thought that would be a good way to celebrate it.”  He made his reservation and on August 10, 2020, he walked up the driveway to check in at the exact same time they had taken him back for surgery a year earlier.  

“The build up to it on the way up, exiting the plane and falling,” he said of his jump with instructor Derek, “It’s one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had.”  First skydive.  First plane ride.  Living life to its fullest. He added with a chuckle, ”I still haven’t landed in a plane yet though.”