Do you remember this smiling face? I wrote about Istiak in my post: https://joycebowen.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/am-i-a-racist/.

Oftentimes, I would go into the convenience store, and there would be a scowling Istiak behind the counter. I cajoled and smiled, and finally found that smiling Istiak so prominently depicted in these pictures.
Being rooted in the mind of a journalist, I poked and prodded Istiak’s personality until he finally revealed a secret. Istiak is on Dialysis. His kidneys have failed. He had had untreated high blood pressure, and it has taken his kidneys. Now I understand the difficulty he experiences upturning those lips into a smile. I suspect he is tired far too often. He’s been on Dyalisis for two years.
Ali Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee wrote a buzz that was conducive to caring—how it helps to take a moment—pay attention—and care. I tried to find it and failed miserably. Dude—you are just so prolific with your mind-bending Buzzes.
I’ll let Istiak introduce himself:
Hi,
My name is Istiak Ahmed, and my date of birth is May 20, 1992. I was born in Kushtia Bangladesh. I came to the USA on an immigrant visa. I became a USA citizen in 2015. In May of 2015, my kidneys were found to be damaged by high blood pressure. I am on dialysis now and am on the Kidney Transplant List at MGH. I do dialysis Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in Salem, Massachusetts Dialysis Center.

Istiak on Dyalisis
Istiak’s–Issy, I call him–email is [email protected].
His phone number is: 617-5945-1836
My hope? Something magical will happen, and this will spread far enough through virtual reality for this young man to connect up with a kidney. I will miss his smile if I go into our neighborhood store and he is not there to complete my purchases. For him to face mortality at such a young age disheartens me.
For those of you who can – share away.
Joyce Bowen
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About the Author: Joyce Bowen is a freelance writer and public speaker. Inquiries can be made at [email protected]