Sharing the Road

This week we've been praying for a family we met over social media whose beautiful daughter has a heart story that is similar to Annika's. This September her heart unexpectedly stopped while running track during sixth grade PE. Like Annika she was saved by CPR, and like Annika she needed a transplant. On Saturday she received her special gift.

While technically strangers, I feel a deep connection with this sweet family. There is a unique bond created by sharing an experience so extraordinary that you feel like no one has walked this road before, only to discover that you are not alone.

Instead, I'm learning that this path is traveled more frequently than I realized. This very same week, our neighbor's 21 year-old nephew collapsed in cardiac arrest while shopping at our local Walmart. CPR, ICU, ICD, cardiomyopathy--the journey feels so familiar. We are praying for this family too.

Revisiting this heart trail, I am mindful to tread carefully. As a quiet observer, I recognize that these stories are not our own. While I may recognize some of the cairns, the markers, both horrendous and hopeful, are not ours. This is their journey. And yet it still hits hard.

On Saturday I found myself feeling withdrawn and weepy, just as I felt on that December Saturday a year ago when Annika was transplanted. My own heart panicked as I read how their girl's transplanted heart struggled during those initial terrifying hours. I recalled how much Annika's heart struggled during those first days. I can't help but feel like these transplanted hearts carry memories and a will of their own. I remember that it took time before it felt like Annika's transplanted heart finally accepted and became comfortable in its new home.

I've fallen to my knees in gratitude after learning that all of these hearts are doing better. I'm glad to know that even though we've never met, Annika has a heart friend in Texas. I hope that some day we can connect both there and with this young man here in Salt Lake. I can't make the trail less steep, but sometimes it helps to know that you're not climbing this mountain alone.  As a wise friend who likewise traveled this road once told me, There's Always Hope.