To our Donor Family,


Dear Donor Family,

This is a strange letter for me to write. I don’t know you. I don’t know if I will ever be blessed enough to meet you. Ten years ago tomorrow my husband received your loved one’s heart. My guess is you said goodbye today or yesterday. We found out early in the morning of the 13th that there was a possible donor. Thank you never seems like enough. Thank you that Chip’s life has been extended ten years and your dear one’s cut short ten years. In this game we won, and you lost. It hardly seems fair. You are the ones who gave generously a precious gift. We did nothing but hope while Chip held onto life by his fingertips. Hope that someone would die. Another of life’s ironies. Some say it’s a miracle. I don’t know.

Tomorrow we celebrate, you cry. I am so sorry. In a strange way I feel your grief. At times I thought it was guilt. Guilt that we got to go on with life. I can’t explain it. Our kids got to know their dad for at least another ten years. One graduated from High School. Maybe one day he will escort our daughter down the aisle to her groom. Dreams that didn’t seem possible, but now are within our grasp. We are not naïve enough to think this will last forever. But for the moment, we are so thankful.

I do hope one day we get to meet. Face to face. It may not be this side of heaven. I can only imagine what such a meeting will be like. Your loss must be so great. Only people who give so much can understand that even in loss there is gain. Until that day, I continue to mark this date with remembrances of you and your gift to us. The goal was to gain ten years. Chip has had ten productive healthy years. More then we ever hoped for. We don’t take any of this time for granted. We know its borrowed time. A gift.

With grateful tears……………