Every year at this time I think of the people who lost thier infant son in a car accident and made the decision to donate his heart. Their act of blind selflessness in the middle of a black hole of despair is stunning to me still. We had spent 8 weeks praying, begging, raging, crying and finally clenching our hands into fists and trying to will Meagan back to health. Just one more week and she would have turned the corner, been to ill to be eligible for any kind of transplant or corrective surgery for her underdevloped heart. Our phone rang at 9:16 on October 28th and my husband and I knew, just knew who it was and what they were going to say. “They have a heart for Meagan”
Our joy at our good fortune has always been tampered with the knowledge that it came at such a terrible price for those parents. We as a family had experienced more than our share of loss that year, in fact we were getting used to it, expecting it. That evening changed all that, it made us all want to live, made us all realize what was really important . I hope they are aware of how much inexpressable joy came as a result of thier son’s brief life. There are no words to describe the depth of our gratitude for the decision they made. I could say ‘thank you’ to them with my every remaining breath and it would never come close to enough.
ps. Please sign your organ donor cards and share your decision with your family
Wow, Lnix…I’m not sure what to say, except that I’m glad things worked out for your daughter and your family. The family who was willing to give a gift of life in the midst of their tragedy must be special people indeed.
What a beautiful gift you have been given. Maybe by giving their child’s heart to your child, the other parents were blessed with the strength to go on knowing they had helped to give life.
I’ve caried a signed donor card with me ever since I was 16 - the legal minimum age here. IF I get hit by a bus, then by God, strip me of all usable parts. I don’t really know which ones are still suitable to use for someone else (hint: skip the liver and lungs, doc ;)), but hey, go right ahead!
A very touching story Lnix, and I hope your kid is doing OK these days!
Thank you all. Meagan is my neice (my post went through some rather severe editing) but we are a very close family, she is someone I see every day and is just as central to my life as my own child. She is the picture of health still although she does have some developmental problems. Hey, she’s breathing which puts us way ahead of the game!
Go Meagan! 98% factory original parts.
I’ve spent some time working on the organ donor awareness program for the Knights of Columbus here in Virginia.
Folks, it’s not enough to sign your donor card - although it’s a good start. You also must make sure your next of kin knows about your wish to be an organ donor! If your card is signed, and your wife says no, they won’t use your organs.
or at least I can. Couple of things like this had me thinking I should do the same thing - then I found out I already had. Pulled out my license for ID purposes, and there it was - a little heart with the words “ORGAN DONOR” clearly printed beside it. I know for a fact Mrs. O has done the same and she wouldn’t deny the doctors their privilege if the time comes. Although I gotta second Colfire in recommending that the doctors skip over the liver and the lungs.
In case anyone wants additional info on organ donation, here is a link for you. It has an actual printable organ donation card that you can sign today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/hotlines/norg007.htm
The owner of my company AND his wife are multiple organ recipients, so there is organ donation stuff plastered everywhere in my building, along with cards and info.
Lnix, thanks for sharing that. I too have had my driver’s license signed for organ donation for many, many years. I’ve also informed all of my next of kin (including my uncle the lawyer, who has power of attorney for my whole family) of my wishes–if something happens and I can’t be saved, gut me like a deer. Take whatever is usable.
While I have not had the personal experience of a family member needing an organ, I’ve seen enough on TV and in the newspapers to know that organs are desperately needed. if it’s not against anything that you believe in, sign your cards & tell your family, folks.
Also, as painful as it might be, think about what you’ll do if something happens to your children. Make that plan in advance. I know that if, Goddess forbid, anything happens to either of my kids while they are underage, and I am requested to donate their organs, I will. And when they get old enough to discuss it (right now they’re just toddlers), I will explain it to them too.
I have a immune deficiency disorder, so it would be in any organ I donated. (And no, it’s not AIDS, so stop those rumors right now, y’all. :)) I do have it marked on my license, though, and my parents have been told. Worth a shot, I figure…
