recycle yourself

Several months ago my husband came home with shocking news, our friend who is a prominent community leader was in the hospital. He was in such grave condition that they had no other choice but to remove his heart and replace it with a mechanical heart.

I was amazed, horrified then I just cried, for him for his family. For heavens sakes he was in his 50's he was a healthy family man, active, a successful attorney, a soccer coach and then this. How could this possibly be happening to him?

They saved his life with the surgery with the hope that a donor heart would become available. We live fairly close to one of the few hospitals in the country that have doctors who are qualified to implant mechanical hearts; what wonderfully talented doctors and what amazing technology. Word spread thru our small community, phone calls were made, cards sent, prayers were said and then we waited along with him and his family.

Organ donation is a gift don't you think? To save the life of another or to help another with a tissue donation, we hear of it regularly but I'm not quite sure how many of your lives this has touched. My own son received a tissue donation when he had his ACL replaced while a freshman in college by a person who was an organ donor. It doesn't sound  as sexy as a heart or a kidney but his knee is like new eight years later and we are so grateful.

After a considerable wait our friend received the gift of a new heart over the weekend, we were overjoyed to hear the good news. Even better than that is he's doing great, sitting up eating, no complications from the surgery.

We continue to hope for his increased strength and improved health and pray that his body doesn't reject his new heart.  And it is also my hope that the donors family might find peace and comfort after a time that this gift has brought joy to so many by saving his life.

If you aren't a donor, think about it. I am a donor, and so are all my family members ....

 Sign a donor card give the gift of life.