Are you a donor? An organ donor? I've mentioned here before the fact that one day I will likely need a double lung transplant. So organ donation is a subject close to my heart. I will tell you my story, in another post. For now I want to share the words of an amazing young woman on the other side of transplant. She just received her new lungs two weeks ago. I'll just give you a little back story first, but after you click over to read, I imagine you'll want to stay a while and get to know her story for yourself. I only know her through her blog and only found it recently. It's one of those blogs you get lost in, reading the archives, learning more and more until you feel like you've made a friend. I have to confess, I was a blog stalker, never commenting, but praying for her and rooting her on as she waited for the gift that would save her life.
It is not unusual to experience what is called a dry run when waiting for transplant. It's when you are called but for some reason the organs are deemed not viable and the transplant is called off. An emotionally draining event, no doubt. Piper endured four or five of these, one time making it to the operating table and being put on a vent and under anesthesia, only to be told it didn't happen when she awakened. What a roller coaster ride.
Reading her blog has been inspirational and educational. I don't know her, but I do know she is a beautiful person whose life was saved by a stranger. Someone whose life was cut short, but in life had made the decision to be an organ donor. In death, they gave the ultimate gift, so that another may live.
Piper's blog is A Matter of Life and Breath. Her writing is always from the heart, but this post titled "Scars" really spoke to me.
**about the shirt I'm wearing above. Piper's sister originally designed shirts for "Team Piper" for the Great Strides Walk to benefit Cystic Fibrosis research. I jumped at the chance to have one of my own when she offered to print more and make them available on her blog.
