u/Charupa-

I touched base with my donor today and he is still doing great. He’s of the kindest people in the world and I’m forever grateful.

This year had some ups and downs. Generally, things are going well but I ended up getting diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and we are still trying to figure out why I chronically have low blood pressure. Labs have been good with the occasional increase in this med or decrease in that one.

I hope everyone else’s bean is doing well to. Here is to another year of enjoying a second chance at life!

Thanks,

Friendly neighborhood mod

I recently had a transplant and nephrectomy, removing two kidneys and replacing with someone else’s kidney. So, not only did I help cut weight for him, I cut weight for myself.

I know this can be a lot for people to go through, but has anyone else considered any other things to remove to save some grams here and there?

In the last 12 months the community has more than doubled in size. I want to say thank you to everyone who is here sharing their original content and commenting on other people’s posts. For a lot of people, just a few kind words and upvotes give them the confidence boost to get out there and keep working on their craft. Thanks again for sharing your art with the community.

Excerpt:

An embattled Pawleys Island pastor resigned on July 17, the same day his church and its school were hit with a lawsuit seeking more than $25 million for their decision to allow a registered sex offender to work there. 

Don Williams, who along with his wife Ginny had served at Pawleys Island Community Church for 27 years, stepped down. So did Niki Howard, director of the church-run Pawleys Island Christian Academy (P.I.C.A.).

"These resignations mean nothing with regard to the ongoing investigation of the church allowing a sex offender to be in close proximity with children at the church school," Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said in a prepared statement. "My agency continues to gather evidence and conduct interviews at this time."

Church responds to resignations

By July 18, the church had already removed information about Don and Ginny Williams from the staff section of its website. 

The church also posted a message on its Facebook page acknowledging that in addition to accepting the resignations of the Williamses and Howard, several church elders had also stepped down. 

"Over the past several days, our church has found itself in a season of crisis," the post stated. "We recognize the concern, confusion, and hurt that many are experiencing as a result of decisions that have called into question the integrity of our church and its leadership. We want you to know that we see these concerns, we share the weight of this moment, and we are committed to moving forward with humility, honesty, and faith." 

A swift backlash after offender's role revealed
The resignations come amid a backlash to the revelation that church leaders allowed 70-year-old Warren Perry to serve as a volunteer custodian on the campus, which operates a nursery and school. 

Perry, of Murrells Inlet, pleaded guilty in 2023 to third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was originally arrested in 2020 after authorities found child sexual abuse material during a search of his home, according to court records. An arrest warrant states Perry admitted to investigators that he sought to download those files for sexual stimulation.

Although Perry volunteered at the campus for years, Williams has admitted teachers and parents were unaware of his criminal history.

Local and state authorities have said they knew Perry volunteered at the church, but they insist they didn't know of his involvement at the school until the sheriff's office received a call from a concerned father on July 13.

The sheriff's office then contacted the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS), which ultimately arrested Perry on July 14 and charged him with violating his probation. 

Perry was released from the Georgetown County Detention Center the next day on $50,000 bond, according to online court records.

In response to questions from The Post and Courier, state probation officials said Perry was allowed to work at the church because he had no other prior convictions and the church's pastor provided character witness statements.

"Perry was explicitly instructed during regular agent supervision meetings to not engage in direct contact with minors while performing his volunteer duties," the department said in an emailed statement.
Perry was arrested this week because he did not make truthful reports to state probation agents, according to public records. He told them he had not had any contact with children or been within 1,000 feet of a place frequented by kids, records show.

State officials said they learned Perry had been working around children inside the church's preschool, a violation of the state's conditions for sex offenders.

"He has had full access to the school grounds," a report from SCDPPPS stated. "There have also been multiple anonymous complaints regarding contact with the minors from multiple community members. ... The offender has failed to follow the advice and instructions of the agent."