A poem in honor of donors and donor families

Heart recipient Jim Swenson, from Willmar, MN,  shared this beautiful poem that he wrote shortly after his transplant in 2004 to recognize donors and donor families for the selfless gift of donation.  As he shared, “It’s just my way of trying to put into words how I feel.” 

Jim and Barb Swenson

The unexpected knock, the unexpected call.

The tired saddened doctor’s face seemed to say it all.

Everything had been done, your heart sank at the sound.

And now you finally knew, your loved one was down.

 

As you learned the unwanted truth, there was nothing more to do

Your emotions took flight to say, now how do we make it through.

Your loved one didn’t plan it, as you face this awful strife

But now you face the question, do you give the gift of life.

 

Though your sorrow cannot be measured, our thanks is great indeed.

For donors are the heroes we thought we’d never need.

And donors are the heroes we never got to know.

They’ve lost it all, but in that loss they gave life the greatest gift of all.

I am hope: Quentin’s story

Today we close our week of “I am hope” stories with Quentin, a beautiful little boy who, at just 16 months old, saved lives through organ donation. Quentin’s liver saved the life of a little girl named Maria Isabella who was the same age and had just days to live.   

Quentin’s mom, Nina, and his sister, Morgan, have become strong advocates for the gifts of organ and tissue donation and were named part of the 12 inspiring women of 2012 by Donate Life America.  You can also follow Nina on her blog, Sparkle Theory, where she brings the sparkle of her sweet little boy to everything she does.

Nina and Morgan are sharing their passion for donation to inspire people, every day, to register as organ and tissue donors. You can too! Share the video below, keep Quentin’s legacy alive, and encourage others to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.

I am hope: David’s story

“To get up each day and be able to see the vivid colors and all the things going on around us is a gift so easily taken for granted.  I am blessed to have had that gift returned to me.”

David is a wood turner who creates beautiful vases, bowls, and toys.  Most of the material Dave uses is “found wood” from southeastern Minnesota’s hardwood forests and orchards.  These domestic hardwoods provide a wide palette of grain configuration, colors and textures for the artist.  David is also a cornea transplant recipient thanks to the gift of eye donation. 

One Valentine’s Day, David was given not flowers or candy, but a far sweeter gift – his vision.  That day, David received a cornea transplant in his left eye, bringing back clear vision that the eye disease, Fuch’s dystrophy, had taken away.  His visual acuity now measures better than 20/25 and he is able to read, drive and pursue his woodturning art.

Help save lives and restore sight to others by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor.

Did you know?

The cornea is the clear tissue in the front of the eye. A corneal transplant is the surgical procedure that replaces an unhealthy cornea with a healthy donor cornea. Corneal transplantation is one of the most frequently performed human transplants. The procedure has benefited patients ranging in age from newborn to 103 years old.

Common reasons for corneal transplants include:

• Eye disease
• Injuries to the cornea
• Misshapen corneas
• Birth defects and congenital diseases
• Complications following cataract surgery

In addition to the cornea, the sclera (the white of the eye) can also be transplanted, helping patients who suffer from glaucoma, optosis (droopy eye), enucleation (eye removal due to tumor, trauma or disease) and scleral ulcers.

Today’s story is provided by our friends at the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank.