I wish I could tell my Dad a Happy Father’s Day, but he lives in heaven now and is in a much better place.
(Photo taken by me when I was about 9 or 10 years old. He was teaching me about photography.)
I got a lot of traits from my Dad. He was talkative, stubborn, never met a stranger, fun, a Mac nerd, loved photography and ran his own small businesses. I sure wish he was here because he would have been commenting on my blog everyday, been our biggest I Heart Faces fan, entering each week’s photo challenges and Fix-it Friday. Heck, he would have been emailing and commenting to EVERYONE in our social networks that we would have probably had to ban him!
Most of all I wish he was here to see his grandkids. I know they would have loved to have had Grandpa Ted around.
When I was 12, my Dad was on a list waiting for a new heart or else he would die. This was a long and hard wait, because organ donation was pretty much unheard of back then. He was only 45 and it was hard to believe my normally larger than life Dad was so frail and sick.
I remember the exciting evening he got the call that they had a heart and an ambulance was on the way to pick us up… the heart would be at the hospital when we got there!! We made phone calls and then had enough time to get ourselves together by the time the ambulance arrived. I rode in the front seat of the ambulance, not knowing what was going to happen. This could be the night by dad lived or died. It was exciting because I was 12 and going really fast in the ambulance! But it was also such a scary time.
Once at the hospital, we weren’t sure where to go… imagine you had just been visiting with family expecting to die and now you might live!! We were all a little frazzled, but my Dad was very excited and found directions on where to go, practically yelling at anyone in his path… “I’m here for a new heart!!”. Little did we know, we had arrived before the heart, so we had some down time, just enough to get scared all over again!
Dad was taken to a small room and we all huddled around him to give kisses and hugs, not knowing if we would see him again. Then he was off to be prepped while we prayed and waited for the heart. Waiting for a heart just seemed so weird! Who’s heart was it? What had happened? Who was the family who donated such a precious gift? Would it all go well?
Then I heard the words “It’s here!” I stepped out of the waiting room to see the surgeon doing a very fast walk down the hallway with a small cooler in his hand. WOW! It was time! After this, my 12 year old brain is a blur. Everything went great and Dad was okay! We got to see him the next day and I think he actually came home in record time after less than a week. I think he was the 36th person to have a heart transplant at Barnes Jewish Hospital, where now they have performed over 500 heart transplants. Just a week or two after returning home, he was doing wheelies on his motorcycle! He was given 5 years to live. He lived an extra 10… seeing me graduate from high school and college, getting to meet my future husband, enjoying his step-grandchildren and going on many trips with his family.
I don’t know who donated his heart, all I know is that he was a 35 year old competitive cyclist who was hit by a car while training for a race. I’m so thankful that his family donated his organs. Who knows how many other lives they saved as well?
Each day, about 77 people receive organ transplants, but 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs.
Each organ and tissue donor saves or improves the lives of as many as 50 people. Giving the “Gift of Life” may lighten the grief of the donor’s own family. Many donor families say that knowing other lives have been saved helps them cope with their tragic loss.
Click here to learn more about how to become an organ donor in your state. All you do is fill out a quick online form and they will mail you a card. Or download these Printable Donor Cards and put one in your wallet.
If you are in Texas, you can click here to register.
I know my Dad would have been proud that I told you about organ donation:-) Thanks so much to my kid’s dad for taking them out for the day while I got a chance to honor my dad by writing this post.
Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful Dads out there!!
P.S. If you are passionate about spreading the news of organ donation, please visit Taylor’s Gift. Taylor was a local girl who died in a tragic skiing accident at age 13. Taylor’s gift of organ donation blessed five lives through transplantation of her heart, liver, both kidneys, pancreas, and cornea. Taylor’s Gift Foundation strives to increase organ donation through the enlightenment and education of our youth.
As the daughter of an organ recipient, I love that you are spreading the word about & encouraging donation!! My mother was diabetic from the age of 2, was told she would probably not live to be 16, and would never be able to have children. I was born a month premature, but both my mother & I came thru the pregnancy in basically good health. She was put on dialysis after her kidneys began to fail when she was in her late 30s. On February 29th (yes! leap day!) of 2000, she received a kidney & pancreas transplant from Ohio State University Hopsital. It’s been an amazing 10 years & she is still doing well. She has the occasional problem, but is no longer diabetic & is leading a full life. PLEASE DONATE!
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Hi Amy,
What a touching story about your dad, it brought me to tears. Thank you so much for sharing.
Brandi
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Happy Father's Day | Living Locurto – FREE Printables, recipes …: I wish I could tell my Dad a Happy Father's Da… http://bit.ly/attJQc
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What a beautiful post Amy!!……nothing more special than a Dad and his daughter!!….I miss my Dad so much too!! he was ALWAYS my biggest fan too!……listened to my stories, looked at all my pictures, coached all my softball games, and always made me laugh! ?
You’re story touched my heart….and reminded my why I’m an organ donor………{hugs}
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What a beautiful post about your father. Fathers are so special.
Thank you for sharing this.
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What a beautiful post honoring your Dad. My husband, daughter (16), and I are all donors – absolutely believe in it 100%.
Thank you for sharing this.
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This is the first fathers day without my dad. He lived to 81 and died this past February.
In the last 10 years our relationship was a bit strained, and I could rarely summon the patience to be around him for more than an hour or so each visit.
But, now that he is gone, I feel like he understands things better (well from his viewpoint who wouldn’t) and I’ve found that we only hold onto the good memories. The bad ones have faded into the background. That’s the awesome thing with memories isn’t it?
I am grateful that I was able to spend the last two weeks of his life with him and held him when he died. I believe that that has made *all* the difference.
Wow, look at me here, pouring out my heart on a blog I’ve never commented on before!
Thanks for the great post, clearly I was supposed to read it this morning.
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Amy Reply:
June 20th, 2010 at 3:13 am
@MacNessa,
Awww! Sorry to hear about your dad. Thank you for sharing your story.
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What a lovely tribute to your wonderful father. Having just lost my beloved father this spring, verging upon my first Fathers Day without him, I’m reading all the “dad posts” out there. My Dad was 92 and had a long life, but it hurts just the same. This thing with girls and our fathers, whatever it is, it’s intense. My father also taught me about photography & I was his darkroom assistant from the time I was 10 on. If you want to read it, here’s my eulogy for my Dad, the noted photographer Jim Steinhardt: http://thesquashedbologna.blogspot.com/2010/03/goodbye-goodbye-goodbye-jim-steinhardts.html
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Thanks for sharing that amazing story! It reminds me of why I’m an organ donor.
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This is a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing it.
(Also: as someone who will eventually need a kidney, I applaud this post.)
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Absolutely beautiful post. Such a touching tribute to your father! My father is 17 years post heart transplant and we are thankful for each additional year he is given. Time is such a precious gift. I am sure your father would have been so proud. Your blog is just one of my favorites. So fun and inspiring. Thanks for inspiring others to become organ donors and so much more!
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I think this is the best blog post you have ever written {wiping tears out of my eyes!} Your dad would be so proud of you Amy!
P.S. You look a lot like him too!
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Very touching story. I appreciate you sharing.
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Amy, I love hearing your story. Without going into all the details, my stepmom and step-aunt have both received kidneys and my uncle donated his eyes, pancreas, and heart (to 3 different people). Needless to say, my entire family has signed up to be donors.
Donate life = a very good thing!!
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thank you for sharing your story and spreading the ‘donor’ word – I was blessed to be able to donate a kidney to my husband – 4 years ago – we are both doing well. His goal in life now is to be the longest living kidney recipient – I hope he wins!!! Nancy
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Amy Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
@Nancy LeB,
I hope he wins too! What a great story:-)
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Thanks so much for your wonderful story. I am the recipient of a liver donation, with out it I would not have seen my children finish school, marry or seen my grandchildren born. I have been given 12 wonderful years and hopefully many more because of someones unselfish, loving gift. My husband is now waiting for a kidney transplant, the average wait is 2.5 years because so many are waiting. Hopefully your story and appeal will help shorten that wait for many others.
Thank you. Julie L
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Amy Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
@Julie Luva,
I hope you have 12 years and more! I’m so glad you shared your story. I hope it inspires others to become a donor. Sending prayers your way that your husband gets a new kidney fast!
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Amy,
Thank you for sharing your tribute in honor of your father. So heartfelt and beautiful to read.
My grandfather received a heart transplant when I was only around 6 or 7 years old. He has had the wonderful gift of meeting his first great-grandchild in 2007 (my daughter) and the most fulfilling life with 5 children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. All my family are organ donors. Nothing is more precious in life than helping others!
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This is a wonderful tribute! Thank you for sharing!
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your relationship with you dad was indeed a very special one. i wish i had such a close bond with my own father…how very lucky you both were to share so much. your post brought tears to my eyes…so sweet. i have been meaning to sign up as an organ donor for ages..just never have gotten around to it. after reading your post and using the link you provided my husband and i both signed up as donors. thank you again for this post..it touched my heart and compelled me to take action! xo
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thank you for sharing your story. your father sounded wonderful and i believe he can see a bit of what is going on in heaven, but maybe that is just wishful thinking that my mother in law can experience a bit of her grandchildren’s lives from there…
after meeting a little girl who desperately needed a small bowel transplant and got it on thanksgiving two years ago, i finally convinced myself it was the only selfless thing to do to be an organ donor. if she had not received that organ, she would not have survived to five…a happy (mostly) healthy five year old! i be the parents who lost their child were so devastated, but i am grateful they were strong enough to be so generous and loving.
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Amy, I’m so glad your dad got the gift of life with the new heart to get to see you grow up. It’s a beautiful post and touched my heart. I know the love of a father is so special and will always be in your heart. Hugs friend~
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This is such a touching and sweet tribute to your dad. This was so inspiring that I immediately signed up to be a Texas donor. I hope that everybody who reads this will be inspired and touched the way I was and will sign up to be a donor as well.
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Amy Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
@norma lee good,
Wow! Thank you:-)
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*waving hands frantically in front of my eyes*
Wow. What an amazing testimony!! How powerful. And touching. I am SOOOOOO not going to forget to call my dad tomorrow! Heck, I should go call him right now!!
Really well done. Beautiful words.
Blessings-
Amanda
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Amy Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
@Amanda,
Thank you… yes… call him:-)
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What a touching story. I worked as a nurse in CVICU and took care of heart transplant patients. My husband is a surgeon and does the transplants…this is the first time, in over 10 years that I had actually read a “family’s tribute” to a loved one who had recieved a heart.
Very precious!
Love it!
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Amy Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
@C,
Tell your husband THANK YOU for what he does. And thank you for taking care of the patients! You don’t know how much my dad’s doctor meant to him.
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What a beautiful tribute to your Dad – wonderful of you to share these memories. It sounds like he was quite the guy! We have talked to our kids about organ donation – both my hubs & I are donors … my daughter thinks it’s so cool that we can gift our organs to help others live … indeed. Bless you this Father’s Day as you embrace the memories of him.
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Amy Reply:
June 19th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
@Mela Kamin,
Thank you for the kind words! I’m happy to hear you are an organ donor.
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