Want to take a moment and share an important topic. Organ Donation. Most know that our oldest, Matthew, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Along with that, we were given choices for his survival: Let him die, Heart transplant, or a series of major surgeries to re-plumb his heart. We chose the surgeries to hold off on a transplant. It was a choice based on multiple reasons. It is always better to make a bad heart last as long as you can. Not only because there actually is less medicine then compared to a transplant, but also getting a transplant is slim pickings in young children. They are young and healthy and there is less available organ donations.
We ask that you watch this awesome video below. It is about one of my (Matt) college dorm buddies, and his little girl, Mia. She had severe aortic stenosis. And thanks to Jacobs Mother who wanted her child’s memory to live on in another little child, Mia. This subject is dear to our heart because most likely in the future our own little Matthew will need this priceless gift from another to live.
So take just a moment, watch the video, and the adorable music, get your Kleenex, and think about what would you do, if you too had that question asked? Will you donate?
For Jessica from Lilly McDowell on Vimeo.
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Filed Under: A Thrifty Dad, Acts of Love, I'm a Heart Mom, My Thoughts
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When my son was 7 months old, he had a liver transplant. My brother in law donated part of his to save my sons life. Being a donor IS a gift of life. Such a blessing.
And one thing to think about…my brother in law actually saved TWO lives that day: first off, my son’s, and also my son was taken off the UNOS transplant list…so the liver he would have eventually received, could go to another needy kid. AMAZING!
Thank you so so much for posting the video! I am so touched! I have been a huge fan of your blog! Thanks again!
Wow!!! I’m an organ donor, but it never even crossed my mind about kids and babies needing organs too. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for that reminder of organ donation and how precious and beautiful life is. (Bless you, Jessica and Jacob and Mia and family) Yes, I cried like a baby, but sometimes that is needed. This hits home for me as I have a 6 year old girl who will need a kidney transplant in the future. We don’t know how the process goes yet, so do not know if family can donate or not. The kindness and strength of those going through their own loss and giving the gift of life is amazing, truly amazing.
Thanks for sharing this! My mother had kidney disease and actually had to have two transplants in the 47 yrs she lived. One came from a brother and lasted 14 years. She had another after that failure from a stranger who gave the gift of life but unfortunately lost a battle with bone cancer a few years later. I will always committ to being an organ donor and hope and pray that everyone who reads this will as well. God bless!
WOW !!! You watch that video and you realize how precious life is. Its been almost four weeks since the doctors gave my six year old son a 50/50 chance to live, he is home now, but one minute they are here , and one minute they can be gone. A 25 year old gave my dad the gift of life 10 years ago (a lung ), and he has since past, but this special person gave my dad and us a few more year to enjoy the time that we had. I am a organ donor myself,remember you dont need them when you are in Heaven, so give the gift of life to the ones who are still here on earth. Matt thank you for sharing the video and hug your children
WOW! I don’t even know what to say. I can’t imagine (and pray that I never have to) what it would be like to have to make a decision like that. Life is sooooo very precious. My youngest daughter was born with a large birthmark on her back that had a high risk of becoming cancer before the age of 10. My only choices were to wait & see or have it removed by surgery. They said it would take a series of three surgeries to complete the process and the risk of cancer would be gone. That was the toughest thing I had to go through as a parent. I struggled with the thoughts of the worst. It took all I had in me just to pick up the phone to schedule the surgery. They completed it in tho surgeries, but those two days were so hard. I know this is not even close to what many have gone though (like little Matthew), but if I felt that way..I can only imagine what you went through.
Organ donation is so very important! It takes something bad and turns it around in to something very good…that life that was lost is lived on in someone else…now that is the greatest gift someone can give!
My husbands brother was involved in a motorcycle accident 2 years ago and died as a result of his injuries. Their mother made the decision that they would donate all that they could, after they took him off of the life support it took his body a little too long to harvest his major organs but they were able to give someone the gift of sight and several others tissue and bone donations. I hope and pray I never have to make that decision about a child of mine, but I know that my mother in law made a wonderful gift out of her sorrow. Life gift in our area has a memorial every year and my mother in law makes the trip up here every year, and I’ve already signed my donor card just in case.
Tonya
We will ship you a pack of puffs 
When I was a little girl I had major surgery the risk of dying was high… I told my mom that if I died I wanted my organs to help someone else. I was only 10, it totally freaked my mom out, but even as a child this has been a very important subject to me. Never did I know I would someday need this own gift in my life (we pray it will be years before Matthew needs a new heart, but that day will come someday)
sarah
Dang you Matt! You made me cry my eyes out. You owe me some Puffs man. Okay, whew, that was rough. I’m an organ donor & watching that made me remember why it is so important. Thanks for the happy/sad/emotional post!
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone would donate? You don’t have anything to lose by seeing that little red heart on your drivers license.
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