Donation

Donation

I have been trying to decide this week how I wanted to blog about this topic. I was lying in bed an could not sleep so I decided now was the time. I wrote it in my head so we will see how it all comes out. The story goes something like this...

I met Michelle in the 4th grade. She is the one I previously posted about us turning 30 and one of my girls I was privileged to spend last weekend with on our at least annual girl's trip. Her mother, Ms Sherrell, was always around. She was everywhere. She volunteered up at the school and was the most fun mom around. She was the life of the party! I have such great memories growing up and spending time with them. One time we dressed up as clowns to attend a festival at the park. She did magic tricks and we had a great time. They spent their summers at Clarks Hill lake camping and skiing. So much fun!!!

When we were in the 9th grade. Ms Sherrell started having trouble with her heart. That fall/winter she was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy. I didn't really understand the impact it would have on her at the time. She was become easily fatigued. After spend the day participating in something, she would have to spend the next several days in the bed recuperating. This disease slowly took parts of her life away that she previously enjoyed and she could not longer participate in the things she so enjoyed.

She became so sick in 2002, they decided it was finally time to put her on the heart transplant list and move her up to the top. This was good and bad. It meant that if a heart became available and she was a match it would be hers. It also meant that if it did not, her time on earth was limited.

I will never forget the evening Matt and I came home and I checked the messages. One was from Michelle. Her mother had gotten the page that there was a heart available and it was a MATCH! I jumped up and down screaming with excitement. I think Matt thought I was crazy. Ms Sherrell had her surgery at Emory and I was able to go see her when she was released to the live in house all the transplant patients had to go to after they were released from the hospital. She looked amazing! I remember being so impressed at how well she looked after having a HEART TRANSPLANT! Her color looked like it had years before. She was up and beginning to exercise again.

When she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, the doctors said a virus had attacked her heart and caused it. There was some mention of it possibly being hereditary but I am not sure if any of that was ever really looked into.

Last weekend, while on our girl's trip, Michelle got a call about her Uncle Odie (Ms Sherrell's younger brother). He had been taken to the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack. They ran some tests and released him saying he did not have a heart attack. He ended up having to go back that night. I received an email from Michelle on Tuesday saying they had diagnosed him with dilated cardiomyopathy too. His heart is functioning at a 20-25 % rate (normal is 55-70%) and is enlarged. He is also having irregular heart rhythms. They were doing a heart cath to see if they need to implant a cardioverter defibrillator and determine how they should proceed.

Please keep them in your prayers in the coming weeks, as doctors appointments are made and treatment is determined. Please remember Michelle's family. They have been through this before. I see that in two ways. One, Ms Sherrell knows the questions to ask, knows the experts and knows what to expect. Two, Ms Sherrell knows how hard this is going to be and the family has seen how hard it is.

My other request is this. I have the website to the Georgia donor registry. Please go to the site and register to become an organ donor even if you are registered with your divers license. Some of you may have registered as an organ donor with your license to get the discounted rate when you renewed. I encourage you to look at the website so you will understand more about what it means to be a organ donor. It only takes about 5 minutes to complete. I have seen what a difference organ donation can make in someones life. If you have considered donating your organs go to the sight and educate yourself. It just might save someone esle's life. www.donatelifegeorgia.org

I know this was long and I hope I didn't ramble too much. Thank you for reading.