What strikes the oyster shell does not damage the pearl. ~ Rumi
Joy, grief, and gratitude come with this medical process of tissue and organ transplantation…and it can be a mixed blessing. A difficult part for me was writing a thank you letter to my teenage donor’s family – it was the most heart wrenching and important thing I’ve ever written. How does one thank someone for a gift when it comes from the tragedy of another?
I still tear up.
But this is about her living legacy – and our living legacy. Though I know getting donor tissue is different in many ways than getting a donor’s organ, it still joins two people together in a way that is like no other.
It is a hopeful message to think that something of ourselves or our soul is preserved in our tissue on a molecular level, and that it can be transmitted after death to a another person. It gives new meaning to life after life. This is one of the many things I’ve learned from my donor who inspired me to transform my life. Writing the book, Soul Donor, is just one of the symbols of that transformational experience.
And this is another way to honor the teenage donor I call Gena and her family:
I send them my eternal gratitude and love.
Tissue and organ recipients, living donors, family and friends who have been through this process – please share your connection, your transformation…it helps us all heal.
Contact Kelly if you would like to share your story.
