Ever been witness to a miracle?
Last week a friend's husband got a call. After decades of diabetes and after many, many months of dialysis, my friend's husband was getting a transplant. The two organs he needed, kidney and pancreas, had come available.
All through the night, various medical tests were done. Lab work to determine if the organs were viable and suitable for him. Blood work and fever checks hour after hour to determine to state of his health. A fever would mean an infection and an infection would mean someone else would receive these organs.
A long drive in the dark to the transplant hospital. Anti-rejection drugs administered. Surgery at 8 a.m.
By two in the afternoon, the surgery was done. A man who had lived nearly forty years as a diabetic was no longer in need of insulin. A healthy kidney did the work of the two damaged ones.
Renewed health. What a blessing.
In less than seven days, the patient went home. There is still a lot of recovery left to do, as well as tweaking the various medications involved, but there is great rejoicing in their household.
Fantastic as that is, that's not the real miracle.
The real miracle comes from the person who signed an organ donation card and the family who followed through. Despite their heartbreak, they remembered the bigger picture.
They gave someone the gift of health and longer life.
Miracle gift.
Does your family know you want to be an organ donor?
Posts
3 Other Creative Souls are Saying:
Deb,
Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story of miracles-come-true! My thoughts are with your friend's husband for continued healing and good health. And my thoughts are also with the family who made that loving decision to donate, reminding us of the true meaning of the "circle of life." Your blog inspired me to do a search on my ongoing list of "favorite quotes," for the word "miracle" and I found it numerous times. I will share one of those quotes that I think "speaks" to your blog message:
"Where there is great love there are always miracles."
--Willa Cather
It is amazing that this was only a week or so ago. God is so good and gracious.
Thanks for this little reminder.
What a wonderful story. I wish the best to your friends husband. I used to work in a large hospital with a transplant center. In our clinic we saw many of the transplant patients pre-surgery. I am a donor and yes, the most important part...my family knows it. Thanks for the reminder that we can all do good for others by giving them the gift of life.
MeMo
What Other Creative Souls Are Saying