Editor's note: This story is a response to a blog I posted on YourHub.com Sept. 18. Here is a link to the original blog:
denver.yourhub.com/Evergreen/Blogs/Friends/Blog
Your friend and her sister and their family are heroes to so many of us... And Karen, you are also a hero in the eyes of a lot of people waiting, and a lot of us who have waited -- you're spreading the word.
Can you even imagine what has happened through the action your friend's sister and her family has taken? There may be one, maybe two people breathing better than they have in years -- maybe better than they have forever... There is probably someone whose heart is beating steadly for the first time in a decade... Two people are likely free of the torture of dialysis, and one of them my no longer be diabetic... Someone may be seeing the face of a loved one that had only been a memory for years, or maybe seeing a child or grandchild for the first time ever... Someone may be waking up from a coma with a new liver and hugging a spouse or child who thought they might never hug them again.
You're so right about our time here being delicate and tenuous, and precious -- And your friends and family should always know how much you love them... After struggling 40 years with cystic fibrosis, 6 years ago I was dying as my lungs were finally failing.
Six years ago, a beautiful 17-year-old girl from Iowa named Kari was at dinner with her family. She was intelligent -- a National Honor Society member... She was athletic -- Kari was a star middle-hitter on her high school volleyball team. She was opinionated, outspoken, stubborn -- and she had a smile that lit up the world.
At dinner, Kari brought up the topic of organ donation telling her family she did not understand why someone wouldn't want to help someone else when they were through with life here... A few weeks later she was swapping driver's licenses with her sister. Her Mom said that Kari "jumped all over" her sister because her sister didn't have organ donor indicated on her license.
About two weeks later, Kari's family had a tragic decision to make -- but Kari had already helped them with that decision. At the most devastating moment in their lives, they reached out and saved mine. On April 8, 2000, Kari brought her big, beautiful smile into my life when she and her family gave me both of her lungs...
I don't know how old your friend's sister was, but your friend and her family need to know what they've done for several other people, and several other families. My sympathy and my condolences go to your friend and her family. Most of us recipients, and our families, think about the donor and the family that saved our lives every single day. Your friend and her sister will be in someone's heart and on their mind, probably for the rest of their lives. I'm lucky enough to have learned about my donor and her family -- but even when we do not know about them, we know that there is a precious person and family out there -- And that family is suffering, yet they gave us life...
I can give you a little idea of how I feel -- My princess helped me create a little website/tribute to my donor, Kari -- What I say on my website could be what any recipient says of their donor and donor family. Kari's family allowed me to post/publish the first letters we exchanged anonymously. Also, very precious to me -- One of Kari's very close friends, Jennifer, has written a few poems about Kari that I've also posted on my site. Jennifer is now one of my very close friends. My website is at
www.ClimbingForKari.org
Please extend my condolences to your friend and her family. And thank you so much for telling people about organ donation. Isn't it neat to think that maybe someone saw your little tribute and thought to themselves, "Hey, maybe that's a good idea -- maybe I should do that..." Years from now, your influence give someone like me a life they've never, ever known.
Love,
Steve Ferkau
Chicago, IL
BreathinSteven@gmail.com