I don’t know if you had any idea that you were going to die.
I don’t know if you got a chance to say your goodbyes. To hug your babies… To squeeze the hand of your spouse. To spend those last moments with the people who meant the most to you. I don’t know if you had made your peace with God, or even if you were a religious person. I don’t know anything about you.
That’s not true, actually.
I know one thing about you.
I know that you made a decision. At some point you decided that should something happen to you, should your life end… That you would give one final gift. Parts of you would live on through organ donation.
It’s not always an easy discussion with your family, I know it wasn’t with mine. But I DID have that talk. Multiple times in some cases (I’m pretty sure that my Mother is on board with my decision now). I’ve had that talk, I’ve signed a donor card, which is always in my wallet, and I’ve indicated my wishes on my drivers license.
You did the same, I’d assume.
I don’t know where your heart ended up, but I have a feeling that it’s beating right now in someone’s chest.
Someone who will have another day, because of your selfless gift.
Godspeed. Whoever you are.
There is something about caring for a patient who will be an organ donor. Bittersweet. That out of a tragedy so many lives will be touched and made better….
Thanks Epi…it’s something that we should all think about.
Amen Epi- I’m one too, if the body parts aren’t too worn out!
Right on, Epi. Proactive campaigning for organ donors remains the most successful way to recruit more! I hope when they finish taking my usable parts there’s barely enough left to bait my crab trap off Key West Florida.
When I was 7, I sat down with my dad and we talked about organ donation (I’d just hit the age where I was comprehending that at some point everything stopped), and we agreed that if ever anything happened to me, then my parents would donate *everything* that was usable, as I wanted to be cremated anyway. Nothing has changed my mind since then, and nothing ever will. If I can’t use it, and someone else can, then I don’t believe that it is *anyone’s* right to say “no” for me.
Hey Epi,
I posted a link to this post from my blog.
http://portraitofalady-lizzie.blogspot.com/2010/07/gift-of-life.html
Hope you don’t mind! I thought I’d give out the website and information for those of us in Canada.