『The Church of the Souls Evolution, June 6, 2026』のカバーアート

The Church of the Souls Evolution, June 6, 2026

The Church of the Souls Evolution, June 6, 2026

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The Church Of The Souls Evolution with The Reverend Blake Rubie (Ordained Minister) A Father’s Gift of Life: Reverend Blake Rubie on Kidney Donation, Veterans’ Benefits, and Gratitude Through Suffering Reverend Blake Rubie Opens The Church of the Soul’s Evolution In this episode of The Church of the Soul’s Evolution, host Reverend Blake Rubie returns after missing two Saturday shows while visiting his son Bryce in Burbank, California. He explains that he and Bryce recently enjoyed a four-day cruise together, and he uses that visit as the starting point for a deeply personal reflection on fatherhood, kidney donation, military service, disability claims, gratitude, and survival. Reverend Rubie shares that Bryce is a two-time kidney transplant recipient and that Blake donated one of his own kidneys to him in 1995 while still on active duty. Bryce’s Early Kidney Disease and Dialysis Reverend Rubie explains that Bryce was born in 1994 with serious kidney problems caused by a blockage during fetal development that prevented the kidneys from developing properly. As an infant, Bryce underwent procedures to allow urine drainage, then had his kidneys removed at three months old and was placed on peritoneal dialysis. Reverend Rubie describes the exhausting nightly process of connecting Bryce to dialysis, dealing with alarms, tubing, formula feeding, vomiting, clothing changes, and the constant effort to help him gain enough weight to qualify for transplant surgery. Donating a Kidney to Save His Son Blake says that when doctors asked whether he would donate a kidney, the answer was obvious to him as Bryce’s father. He was tested, found compatible, and donated his right kidney to Bryce on March 29, 1995, when Bryce was about ten months old and had just reached the minimum weight requirement. Reverend Rubie describes seeing his son after surgery, surrounded by tubes and machines, but with what he calls the look of a survivor. That kidney lasted 19 years, giving Bryce a childhood and years of life that Blake believes he would not otherwise have had. The Gift of Life and the Importance of Kidney Health A major theme of the episode is Reverend Rubie’s encouragement for people to consider kidney donation if they are able and willing. He repeatedly calls kidney donation a gift of life, especially when given by someone outside the immediate parent-child relationship, as happened when Bryce later received a second kidney in 2014 from his best friend’s mother. Blake also urges listeners to take care of their kidneys, especially by drinking enough water, because he believes many people underestimate how serious kidney failure and dialysis can become. The VA Disability Fight Reverend Rubie spends much of the episode discussing his ongoing battle with the Veterans Administration over whether the loss of his kidney should qualify for disability compensation. He says the VA has classified the surgery as elective or voluntary, but he strongly disagrees, arguing that a kidney donation to save a child’s life should not be treated the same as an elective procedure such as cosmetic surgery or a vasectomy. Because he was on active duty at the time and needed approval through his military chain of command, he believes the donation should be recognized differently. Pain, PTSD, Sleep Apnea, and Long-Term Effects Blake explains that the kidney donation left him with a large scar, long-term pain, reduced mobility, difficulty sleeping on his side, and related health effects. He says he has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety connected to the kidney donation and describes sleep apnea that he believes is affected by his inability to sleep comfortably on either side. He contrasts older kidney donation surgery, which left him with a nine-inch scar, with newer less-invasive methods that may leave much smaller scars. Frustration with VA Denials and Bureaucracy Reverend Rubie expresses gratitude for the benefits he currently receives, including reaching 100% disability, but also describes years of frustration with VA denials, repeated wording that he believes is contradictory, and what he sees as inefficiency or incompetence in the claims process. He says the VA has repeatedly stated that the kidney donation did not occur during or because of service, while elsewhere acknowledging that he donated a kidney to his son. He praises his lawyer and assistant for helping him fight the appeal, but says the process has been slow, stressful, and emotionally draining. A Prayer for Bryce and a Message of Gratitude Near the end of the episode, Reverend Rubie reflects on how much his son has meant to him. He says Bryce helped give meaning to his life and career, and he recalls driving hundreds of miles to visit him after his divorce, including trips from Virginia to Ohio and later visits while stationed in Venezuela. He shares that Bryce now works for Warner Brothers and has been doing well after his second transplant. The episode closes with...
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