This is my first time blogging so please bare with me. I'm not the best writer!
Several of you have asked me the name A Father's Heart came from. I know its not a common name, and may sound funny to some, but It has a very special meaning behind it. My father is no longer with me anymore, but the memories I have of him I will always cherrish forever and ever. My father was my heart!
November 13th makes eleven years that my father has been in Heaven. It's time to get this story out and get moving like I promised him I would!
Dad was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy (fatal heart disease) in 1996. The only cure for this disease was a heart transplant. He was placed on the list immediately. The doctors all reassured my family that we had nothing to worry about that a new heart would be found in no time for him. Sadly his disease took a turn for the worse and he started heading down hill fast! I took it harder I think than anyone. I was only 15 at the time. When I was told that he needed a transplant in order to survive I was devastated. My father would reassure me that everything would be fine that he is in God's hands and that everything happens for a reason. Sadly on November 13th, my beloved father passed away waiting on a heart transplant. God decided he needed him more than we did here on earth. I had just left the room probably 30 mins before my father passed away. I now believe he was holding out until I left. He knew that I wouldn't have been able to take that emotionally. Whew, its hard writing this, but its now time for his story to get out! Hospitals had became our second home, sadly. I will never forget one of the conversations we had about organ donation. We both agreed that it was a shame that it took something this traumatic to happen to our family to realize the importance of it. Thousands die each day waiting on an organ. This does not have to be! My father's death, although I know there is a reason for everything, still could have been prevented.
Now going on to my story. Two weeks after Dad's passing, I started having passing out spells. My local doctor said it was due to the emotional stress of just loosing my father. Yes, I was very upset about his passing, but knew something else was wrong. The passing out continued for about 2 more days when my mother decided to get a second opinion. Thank God she did because it was not emotional stress that was causing this.
On my sixteenth birthday, January 10, 1999 I was diagnosed with the same life threatening disease that took the life of my father. Now what once I could only imagine someone having to go through, I was living. I saw how my father took on this illness with a great out look on things, and I was determined to do the same and make him proud. It was extremely hard taken on this disease without my Dad, but I knew that he was with me in spirt every step of the way.
My world was turned upside down. I was no longer able to cheer lead, play softball, etc. But I was determined not to focus on the things I could no longer do, and focus on the things I could do.I said to myself that I was going to turn disability in ability! I thanked God for placing me in the hands of some of the best docs out there that was able to diagnose me before it got to late. I waited four years for my transplant. I can not describe to you how painful it was waiting. I felt like I was just waiting for someone to pass away so I could live. Let me tell you how good our Lord was to me. I started to head downhill fast just as my father did within a matter of days. My docs then placed me on the nation wide transplant list. I needed an organ right then. The news broke out in my community about this. I had people all over the world praying for me. After I was told I needed a heart asap in order to survive, my heart came in two days after that news. God has been so very good to me! It was a miracle for sure! I remember when the call came in to come to the hospital, I cried like a baby. I knew that somewhere on this day someone had lost someone very precious to them. I remember how I felt when my father passed away, and my heart just bleed for the family. I prayed all the way to the hospital for my donor family. There at the end it looked like I was going to end up like my father, but God is so good! Praise God! On March 24, 2003 I received my new heart! I am a living example that life does go on after we pass on. Please consider becoming an organ and tissue donor!I know that for some, Organ Donation can be a touchy subject, but lets face it we all know that one day our time will come. Why not leave behind your organs for someone that can use them, and save their life? You do not need your organs in Heaven! In Heaven you will have a brand new body! My dream is to get out here some way or another and spread the importance of organ donation. Someone has to do it. I made a promise to my father that I would not let his death go in vain. I would do my best to do what I could to promote organ donation so no other family would have to go through what we did. I'm still sticking to that promise!!