TULSA, Okla. — As Union District Chef, Candyse Walker-Muray is a team player who covers everything from school lunch to catering.
She estimates she caters around 170 school events each year.
"Events like administrative meetings, prom, graduation. Prom is like a wedding on steroids," Candyse said.
Working at Union for the last 11 years has been a homecoming for this Union Grad.
"I went to Darnaby, Jarman, all the way up through the ranks," she said.
She loves her school, and Union loves her. Last May, she won Union Support Employee of the Year.
"That was a huge surprise," she said.
Being part of a team that's like family is a key ingredient for this longtime chef, especially after she faced an unexpected health battle.
"About four years ago, I developed Lupus Nephritis, which is Kidney Lupus. It quickly progressed into attacking my kidneys, and I spent an entire summer in the hospital," said Candyse.
Her condition was so serious that doctors put her on dialysis.
"After about that first year in, they were like, hey, it'll get better but never going get totally better. So I ended up on the transplant list," she said.
And nearly two years later, on Sept. 7, 2022, she got the life-changing call.
"They said this is your kidney, and I said okay. So I finished what I was doing, and 30 minutes later, I went to pre-op," Candyse said.
It was two days before the Backyard Bowl, Union's biggest rivalry.
Before she would go in for her Kidney transplant, Candyse wanted to take care of one more thing.
"My husband also works here at Union part-time, and I was like, OK, first, good news, but second, this is on you because I feed the press box, and a lot of stuff goes into the Backyard Bowl. So I was like, you've got to go with me and get everything set up. So we did as much as we could," Candyse said.
Satisfied, she went home. The next morning at 6, Candyse went in for her Kidney transplant. "I didn't realize how sick I still was until I woke up from the operation, and I literally felt 100 times better," says Candyse.
The surgery was a success. "The next day, I was sitting in recovery watching the game, knowing that everything was taken care of. And then I realized the main nurse that was taking care of me, I fed him as a sophomore my first year, and he remembered me," recalls Candyse.
Together, they enjoyed another victory as the Union Redhawks won the game.
One year later, Candyse says, “I feel fantastic! September 8 was my one-year mark. I got released from the Transplant Team. I couldn't have asked for more.”
For Chef Candyse, life is now all about savoring the moment, which is easy to do when you have your health and a heart full of gratitude.
"I literally start my day with a thank-you list. That's how I start my day because I know that because of some family's loss, they made a great sacrifice for me, so I'm not ever going to take that for granted," says Candyse.
To learn more about organ donation, click here.
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