At 3:00 pm yesterday Annika and I checked into Primary Children's Hospital. While she was chipper, my heart felt heavy as we passed through the doors. It's pretty weighty knowing that your child will walk in with one heart and leave with another. By 6:00 pm we received notice that she had been officially listed on UNOS--the United Network of Organ Sharing. Today we received a formal letter informing us that her Status 1A listing (highest priority) had been approved.
But this post isn't about Annika. This post is about her donor. While we obviously have no idea who her donor will be, we are praying for them and their family. As much as we want our child to be healthy and well, we don't wish for any family had to suffer the grief of pain and loss, especially during the holidays. Even though it was two years ago, the biting ache of nearly losing Annika on Christmas still takes my breath away. Jason and I have been listed as organ donors for years, but it hits differently when it is your own loved one. As Annika coded on the table of the emergency department, my own heart ripped in two. I wanted to hold on to every piece of her, all the way from her messy buns to her pink snow boots.
While I believe that we would have chosen to donate Annika's organs if she had passed, I recognize that it would have been a tremendously painful decision. I love my children entirely, wholely, fully. Sharing someone you cherish with a complete stranger requires extraordinary love and generosity.
So to Annie's future donor, please know that we see you. We think about you. We pray for you, and hope you are living life fully with gladness and joy. We have been carrying you in our hearts ever since we learned that one day Annika would need a transplant. May God bless you and protect you until it's time to come home. We are happy to wait. And when you cross that bridge to the other side, may you be wrapped in arms of eternal love for giving another the gift of life.
Words fall short, but our gratitude grows. To every organ donor anywhere, but especially to ours--thank you.
1 comment:
Beautifully written. I'm also very, very thankful, and hopeful. However, the whole situation is so difficult, complicated, and wrenching. We all need kind, heavenly help.
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