Holly's Page

 Happy Birthday Holly ! 

Hi Holly

Thanks for the welcome. Just read your profile. Lots that you said really struck home. I live in NE Fort Worth...close to the Keller border. Are you in Tarrant or Dallas County. Am familiar with Words with Friends, but haven't started to play yet. We both, among others on this site, know that we have had a miraculous experience having received our gift of a new life. My life from pretransplant to posttransplant is so unbelieveably beautiful.

 I am so touched by the notes from D.J's Mom.If you are can, please send this on to her and if she wants she can friend me or contact me directly at mackinnon1547@yahoo.com. 

It was so generous of her to have donated her son's organs and eyes and then to go so far above and beyond this to have tried to send notes to his those who were recipients...I seriously doubt this is done very often. Have tried to friend her or post message to her, but my 3 attempts failed. You gave her excellent advice about sending her messages through the Southwest Transplant Alliance. They "censor" the notes for personal info that we might have included, and then mails this correspondence onto the donee/donor family. I wanted to tell her and all others not to give up hope about receiving permission from the other party..I wrote several notes sent through SWTP to my donor's Mom and it took almost 4 years before I received letter from SWTA telling me I had her consent to contact her directly, along wih her name, address and phone #. There's a always a chance this can happen to all that wishes wishes to do this.... D.J, I am so sorry you have not gotten a response yet..possibly because of not going through "proper channel" SWTA?  I pray that someday you got a response. As hard as it is for any of us to understand why someone on either side wouldn't choose to communicate its a personal choice for all.

Why, thank you Holly, I really love doing calligraphy, I have had a passion for th written word since I could print my name in grade school.  I am luck to say (knock on wood) that the RA has not affected my hands yet, just the feet and ankles.

Have a wonderful evening and I hope we can chat again.

Best,

Renee'

Holly,

While I do not know the folks who received D.J.'s cornea, at least I know that they received my thanks for taking the last gifts he gave in this life.  That was very important to me.  I wish I could know whether the transplants made differences in their lives, but if I put myself into their shoes, I know it would be difficult to know what to say to someone who had lost their child.  I only hope that things go well for them.  I wish I could make some sense of D.J.'s death - he was so young and had so much to offer this world.  I guess part of me thought that knowing the folks who received his cornea would somehow make a difference.  Maybe that is the wrong way to think.  Those folks deserve their privacy and I need to respect that.  Thank you for caring.  That you would reach out to me speaks volumes about who you are. 

Hi Holly!!

The Eye Bank did let me know that my correspondence had been sent to the recipients of my sons' cornea.  Neither of those recipients responded to the correspondence.  The communication has ended there. 

Thank you for your concern and help.  :-)

To reply to "was it easier the second time"  Yes,  & no. I knew what to expect but didn't expect what happened afterward.  I had blood clots,bruising & infection in my lungs that kept me in the hospital for months.  Also my donor heart had CMV which I didn't know about until afterward. I got severly deconditioned from all that time in bed, it took lots of rehab to get back on my feet. But I made it. It's been 6 1/2 years now since the second transplant.  

Thanks Holly~  I too am relying on God for my strength.  It is my faith that has kept me going these past years.  I can't imagine what it would be like without Him.  I am blessed to have family and close wonderful friends, but, because this is SOOO big, no-one has ever walked this path before in my circle so it is a bit scary.  It sounds like you went through quite an ordeal pre-transplant and hearing you say it was worth it...just re-assures me I am making the right decision.  As Psalms says:  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!!  Blessings to you!

Thank you so much for your warm welcome

Thank you Holly!!  Sometime after D.J. was killed, I made Christmas cards and letters for the corneal recipients, then sent them to the Eye Bank.  It was my understanding that the Eye Bank would keep the correspondence in my sons' file, then send the correspondence on to the recipients if they requested.  I am in the process of attempting to ask the Eye Bank if the recipients ever requested that information.  Because of HIPA regulations, information I am able to obtain is limited, so not so sure the Eye Bank is even going to be able to tell me if the recipients asked for the cards/letters.  Those letters thanked the recipients for accepting the cornea my son was able to donate.  To me, the transplant recipients are heros - people who keep striving to go forward.  They inspire me in so many ways.  I want to tell the two who may have received those cornea "thank you".