I met Shaun in his shop a couple of months ago.  He walked in, mentioned that he had just dropped his kids off at school, and then started to talk about his plans for the motorcycle rally he is planning.  Before I left, he handed me a disc with pictures from the first Gift of Life rally that had been organized by his friends.  Shaun didn’t ride in that rally.  Instead, he watched it from the sidewalk of LDS Hospital, sitting in a wheelchair and hooked up to oxygen.  Looking at those pictures, it was really hard to believe that the man in the picture was the same man who is now running his own motorcycle shop, planning a huge event and involving himself in his children’s lives.  Organ transplants save lives, but they do more than that; they give back a quality life. 

Six years ago, Shaun was waiting for a heart transplant.  His condition had become fairly critical when his friends organized a motorcycle rally in his honor.  They planned the route to go right past the hospital so that Shaun could be a part of the festivities.  Shaun has continued to carry on the tradition and is in the process of organizing the 6^th annual Gift of Life Rally for Transplants.  This year’s event has something for everyone.  For non-bikers, he has planned a 5K poker walk that will take place at the same time as the ride.  Following the ride/walk, there will be music, food, and shopping at the park.  There will also be a classic car/bike show, stunt riders and a variety of other activities. 

Funds raised at this event will be used to provide additional education about organ donation and transplantation.  There will be information about organ, eye and tissue donation at the rally.  Anyone who has questions or concerns can pick up some information or log on to www.yesutah.org.     

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to learn about a boy named Adam. 

Adam passed away as a result of an automobile accident in 1995.  He was only 9 years old.  Adam’s parents, though they had never discussed donation, made the decision to donate Adam’s organs and help others who were in need.  They also made another difficult decision.  They decided to share Adam’s story in an effort to help others faced with a similar choice.  A 1996 newspaper article credits their willingness to share Adam’s story with, “helping to increase the number of organ donations in Utah to its highest rate in four years.”  It is amazing the impact one person can have. 

A Salt Lake man who heard Adam’s story wrote a poem and mailed it anonymously to Adam’s father.  That poem can still be found on the University of Michigan Transplant Center Website. 

That incredible poem reads:

To Dad and Mother

I am looking down on earth from here
And I see what you have done
You helped a lot of people
I am proud to be your son
It took a lot of moxie
To give up part of me
But my heart now beats for someone
And someone else can see
I would like to spend a lot of time
Just watching what they do
And if they did some splendid thing
I’d think I did it too
I still don’t know if this was planned
I kinda think it was
I surely hope that that’s the case
And my life was for that cause
I would love to be with you again
To ease your sorrowing
But if it meant retrieve my parts
I wouldn’t change a thing

Your loving son,

Adam
December 19, 1985 – May 22, 1995

 
By,
RBG

It has been almost 16 years.  They have had contact with many of Adam’s recipients and one of the recipients even named his son Adam in honor of the boy who saved his life.  Adam’s family still finds comfort in knowing that Adam was able to save lives.  Adam’s grandma told me, “Every time I read in the newspaper that someone was a donor, I know someone else will live because of that decision.”

This poem was written by six year old Tryn Bailey in memory of his father.  It is really beautiful.

TOGETHER WE CAN…SAVE LIVES 

BY TRYN BAILEY 

MY DADDY’S NOT HERE

HE LEFT ME LAST YEAR.

HIS HEART WAS SO BAD

HE HAD TO BE SAD.

BUT HEAVENLY FATHER SAID.

“YOU HAVE TO COME WITH ME.”

SO HE LEFT HIS ORGANS

 SO OTHER PEOPLE DON’T DIE.

NOW HE’S MY HERO

BECAUSE HE’S STILL ALIVE.

IF WE ALL GAVE OUR ORGANS

WHEN WE HAVE TO GO,

THEN WE WOULD BE HERO’S

AND OTHER PEOPLE WON’T DIE.

TOGETHER WE CAN ALL DO THE SAME

SO SOMBODY ELSE’S DADDY

WON’T HAVE TO GO.

I read an interesting article the other day in the Salt Lake Tribune.  It was titled, “The Adrenaline Rush of a Haunted House.”  The article talked about how our bodies have a real, physiological response to fear, even when we know the thing causing fear is not real.  It is that adrenaline rush that draws people to haunted houses.  Reading about our response to fear reminded me of an editorial that Alex McDonald, Public Relations Director at Intermountain Donor Services, wrote last year.  The editorial was titled, “Organ Donation Isn’t Scary” and it debunked many of the myths that people have heard about organ donation.  It also got me thinking about what is scary. 

Organ donation isn’t scary; waiting for a transplant is scary.  Right now there are almost 109,000 people on the national waiting list.  Each one of those people knows the wait might be long and there is no guarantee that they will even get the transplant in time.  Years ago, I was at a meeting where a man told about his transplant.  He was a young man whose heart, very unexpectedly, began to fail.  As he became sicker, he had to be hospitalized for an extended period of time.  While in the hospital, he met another patient who was also waiting for a heart transplant.  Unfortunately, that patient passed away without getting a transplant.  The speaker expressed how it is always difficult to get the news that someone you know has passed away.  Added to this was the very real fear that it could be him.

Saying yes to organ donation is easy.  Getting the facts is also easy.  Log on to www.yesutah.org and make life a little less scary for someone this Halloween.

I spent the evening yesterday at Cottonwood Creek Retirement and Assisted Living. It was their 27th anniversary celebration and they chose to promote organ donation as part of their celebration!!

We provided a program for the residents as they ate dinner. A few of the contestants for Miss Murray donated their time and talents to help with the program. A sweet 90 year old woman then told me she was from Holland and had once been Miss Holland. Meeting her was a real treat for all of us.

Paul Cardall spoke of his heart transplant and then played the piano. The music was incredible. There were also copies of Paul’s new book “Before My Heart Stops” available for sale.

The program ended with a jazz duo playing some very relaxing and easy listening music as people finished eating their desserts. One member of the jazz duo is waiting for a liver transplant and spoke a little about what it is like waiting. It was the perfect ending to a great program.

The human heart beats, on average, 100,000 times per day.  It does not go on vacation, nor does it take a break.  It knows to speed up when you are exercising and slow down again when you are resting.  But what happens when this magnificent muscle becomes damaged?

            Kirk knows only too well how vital the heart is.  Throughout the years, Kirk had a few serious problems with blood clots, but at age 53, he was feeling great.  He was following an exercise plan and feeling strong.  He had no reason to suspect that on a beautiful summer afternoon, while playing tennis, he would experience a life-threatening heart attack.  Doctors didn’t expect him to survive the night, but somehow he pulled through.  His love of life helped him continue to get through each day as he slowly worked to regain his health and finally become well enough to return to work.

            After a few years, he found himself getting tired easily.  Doctors discovered the damage caused by his heart attack was putting additional strain on his heart and it was beginning to fail.  When his condition worsened, doctors decided to install a heart pump to assist the left side of his heart.  They quickly realized he needed another heart pump to assist the right side of his heart.  The second surgery was done only two days later, on December 23, 2009, and Kirk was told he would not be able to leave the hospital until he received a new heart.

            January 7, 2010, Kirk got his “pass” out of the hospital – a family had said yes to donation and he was able to get a heart transplant.  When he awoke the next day, even with post- surgery pain, and medications, he felt happier than he ever remembers feeling.  The blood circulated in his body in a way it had not done for years; he felt warmer and his feet were back to a healthy color.  “It is an indescribable feeling, knowing I will be with my family for many more years,” says Kirk. 

            Every day approximately 18 people die, waiting for a transplant.  To learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and to register on the “Yes” Utah Donor Registry, go to www.yesutah.org or call 1.866.YES.UTAH (1.866.937.8824).

A few months ago, I contacted several people and asked them if they would share their donation or transplant story with me. I want to share some of those stories starting with a little girl named Abbigail.

Abbigail’s father described her as a little girl with a big heart.  Like many four-year-old girls, she simply adored the Disney princesses, so she was in total bliss when her family was able to visit Disneyland during a trip to California for her uncle’s wedding.  It was a fantastic trip, and they enjoyed the time they were able to spend together as a family, laughing, taking pictures, and just being together.  At the time, they had no idea how treasured those memories in California and Disneyland would be.

 The day after they returned home, their lives drastically changed.  Abbigail’s dad, Marcus, left for his shift as an officer with a County Sheriff’s office. While Marcus was on patrol, a call came over his radio stating emergency crews were being sent to respond to a 911 call about a four-year-old who was not breathing and his address was given as the location.  

By the time Marcus reached his home, paramedics were already on the scene. Marcus learned that Abbigail had put a bouncy ball in her mouth and it had become lodged in her throat.  The emergency crew was able to dislodge the ball and had begun CPR but the situation was serious.  Abbigail was flown to Primary Children’s Medical Center where they would be better equipped to deal with this type of emergency. 

Upon arriving at Primary Children’s Medical Center, the medical staff determined that Abbigail was brain dead.  Marcus and Deborah were devastated. They were asked whether or not they wanted to consider organ donation.  “My wife and I discussed organ donation.  The thought of Abbigail being able to continue to help others through organ donation became somewhat of a comfort to us and we decided to give our consent,” said Marcus.  “The biggest thing about Abbigail was her heart, which she gave to anyone and everyone. There was comfort in knowing, that in the face of tragedy, our child was able to help others.”  

Considering her ‘big heart,’ it seemed fitting that Abbigail was able to donate her heart valves to someone in need.  Her kidneys and liver were also donated. 

If you are not already signed up on the Utah Donor Registry, please consider doing so at www.yesutah.org.