My phone rang last Wednesday around lunchtime and I could see it was Bridget calling. Right after I answered, Gigi said very emotionally, Dad, I am getting a transplant tomorrow! Me: What? Really? How? Are you kidding?
Then I heard Craig jump in and confirm it was real. We have our miracle. Then Bridget proceeds to expand on what's taking place. University of Chicago has informed her that this is a "direct donor" which she explains is someone that directed this liver to be donated to her. It is VERY rare that this happens. They are not allowed to share information on the donor or family so we are all wondering who could have facilitated such an amazing thing for Bridget. She was informed that this individual was on life support, an organ donor and a perfect match. The family directed his liver to be donated to Bridget! We're all in tears with joy and release of pent up emotion on this wild ride. The hospital states she needs to be admitted by 8:00PM that same night and the transplant is scheduled for 11:00AM the next day! Looks like all of our prayers have been answered as all the parts have come together with a perfect match.
Now, who could these special people be who thought to be so kind and considerate to put this kind of gesture into play. Then we get the call. It was from our long time best friends Jim and Claudia Merkel and their daughter Sarah and her husband Illche (Illche is also a doctor, more on that later). 15 years ago, the Merkle's took in Claudia's cousin, Chris, who had down syndrome, after his mother and aunt passed away. Nobody wanted the burden of caring and supporting an adult with down, but Jim and Claudia are that rare selfless couple who took up the challenge.
We knew Chris had a brain hemorrhage, but the Merkle's seemed to be holding back on giving us detailed health updates. When they called, we understood why. They informed us that Chris was the donor. He was on life support and they had collectively made a family decision to take him off. This is where it gets interesting and why we called it a miracle. Ilche is a close friend and classmate with the doctor at University of Chicago who is on the transplant team. For 2 days Illche oversaw each step of this process to expedite help for Bridget. Words cannot accurately express the love and gratitude for having these 5 wonderful people in our lives! Thanks Jim, Claudia, Sarah, Illche and most importantly, Chris, who on his own, some years ago, made the decision to donate his organs.
So here is how it plays out. The University of Chicago donor transplant team will be at Alexian Brothers hospital waiting to harvest the liver upon Chris's passing. At the same time Bridget is waiting in pre-op with Craig for the liver to arrive. But this is where it gets complicated and since this has all happened in less than 24 hours we are learning on the fly. Once they remove Chris from life support he has to enter a state which is called "cardiac death" which means the heart must stop before the doctors can begin to take the liver. We are texting back and forth with the Merkle's and Nonevski's where Chris is at in the process. Finally at noon they send Chris to the OR to remove him from life support. Everyone has been waiting for at least 2 hours for this moment. They text he is on his way. What an emotional roller coaster, excitement for Bridget, guilt and sadness for Chris and his family over his loss of life.
Finally a text from Craig in pre-op, the cardiac death did not happen quickly enough, so the liver can't be harvested, the transplant is off! How do you process an emotion that someone you love should die quickly so someone else you love get's life!? Then you lose out across the board. I don't know, as we have really not discussed it as it is still being processed. Writing this blog is my first attempt to wade into the painful experience to understand it. I don't know that I ever will, just one of life's crueler twists.
We comfort ourselves with the knowledge that just a few short weeks ago we didn't even have insurance approval (after being rejected twice) and no applicants for potential donors. But today we now have a deep hope as we have insurance approval, one of the best transplant teams in the world and applications are coming! Soon after this news we departed, pulled ourselves together and went to our favorite pizza place, Flo and Santos. We even enjoyed a couple of belly laughs over the more absurd things that have happened over the last three years.
But please, this is no time to be complacent, we need your help Journeywomen and Journeymen. Please, Please and Pretty Please make sure you and your kids and friends get this word out via email and social media. This is now a game of numbers, the more applications the more certainty of a match. Here is the link again that explains how to apply to be a donor. www.holisticbliss.co/bridgetsieverslivertransplant
I would like to close with this thought. A few months back these words came to me as if they were spoken directly to me from God Himself:
" Miracles are real! They evolve over time rather than just happen. The pathway to the miracle is revealed through grace by requesting and accepting what My Will is and not your petitions!"
It must have been from God, because anyone who knows me knows I am not smart enough to speak profound thoughts like that! Just seems God wants us to earn the miracle and the lessons He wants us to know and spread into the world and that there ain't no magic dust that He sprinkles around. Too bad, that's how I hoped it would work.
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