By Kathy Harrington, Lindsay’s Mom (Donor Family)
On Friday, September 13, 2002, my life became forever changed. My beautiful daughter, Lindsay Alyce Jones, died of a brain aneurysm.
Lindsay went to school that day and decided to go work out with her best friend Morgan. She suddenly experienced an excruciating headache, said she did not feel well, and collapsed. I was called immediately and was at our health club within minutes. (more…)
By Ronni (Spratt) Richards
In 1992, Jim and I danced at our wedding celebration to our chosen song, “Hot Diggity Dog Ziggity Boom What You Do To Me.” As we waltzed our way into a life together, we couldn’t have comprehended that we would have only three short years to celebrate our love as Mr. And Mrs. Jim Spratt. Jim would die of heart disease May 7, 1995 while awaiting a heart transplant.
By Pati Dyer
I have a special story of love to share with you. Organ donation has touched my life three times and I have been profoundly changed by the love passed on through donation.
My uncle, John Thomas, died unexpectedly at 20 years old. On March 17, 1991, John was declared brain dead after a sudden accident. Though John was my uncle, there were only two years between us and he was more like a brother to me. John was a fun-loving young man who worked hard as a supervisor in a factory. He was also a motorcycle enthusiast, with a collection of 12 motorcycles – only one that actually ran! (more…)
By Debby Rice
My dad wanted to be an advocate for organ and tissue donation after he received his heart transplant. His unfulfilled wish is what compels me to share our story – he died waiting for a second chance at life.
I remember my dad, Denny Hile, as a warm, loving man who was the foundation of our family. He was one of the most positive people I knew, and was dedicated to our family. He listened, really listened when I needed him, gave great advice and was a source of strength for me. (more…)
By Jenny Hoover, living kidney donor
I began working as a nurse in the intensive care unit at a hospital in central Ohio in 1983. While I enjoyed the field I was in, I wanted a career that would help me make a difference in the world and get more involved with the community, because I was new to the area. That’s when I met Linda Jones , and she had just started the local organ recovery program. (more…)
By Kelly Newland, donor mother
My husband, Mark, and I have been riding motorcycles for more than a decade. Today, we know that our son, Adam, rides with us. (more…)
By Meredith Ulmer, donor family member
On May 30, 1994, I was only two years old. Busy playing with my sisters, watching Barney, you know that hard-to-live toddler life! I was also so proud to be a big sister. Even though I was young, I loved taking care of Molly, my younger sister, and helping my mom do whatever she needed done.
I was too young to remember much of Molly’s personality; my mother had always told me that she was a happy baby. She had light brown hair and brown eyes; just like me. I was playing with my older sister Elizabeth and Molly was napping. My mom was in the kitchen making potato salad for a family Memorial Day picnic and my dad was golfing. It was an ordinary day. This day turned very unordinary when my mom went to wake Molly up from her nap. She picked Molly up to realize she wasn’t breathing.
By Melissa Nelms, mother of transplant recipient
Our second daughter, Avrie, was born completely healthy with no complications. She developed normally without any noteworthy illnesses during her first year.
A couple weeks after her first birthday, Avrie spiked a low grade fever, which we dismissed to teething issues. When the fever began to rise and vomiting began, we knew it was more than teething, most likely a stomach virus. (more…)
By Colleen Swabby, donor sister
February 10, 1999 changed my life. I was relaxing at home when my mother called me and said she was hearing sirens and she felt it in her heart that something had happened to my brother, Greg. I thought to myself there was no way, that Greg was okay, but at the same time I had to go to her.
I didn’t even change out of my pajamas and within ten minutes I was with my mom walking to the intersection at the top of her street. There were people everywhere, firetrucks, police cars and an ambulance taking my brother away. He had been racing home to catch the second half of the Buckeyes basketball game and he had been hit by a car. (more…)
By Anthony Hines, heart recipient
In the late 90s, I was driving a truck for work for the City of Columbus street maintenance team when I began having chest pains. I was able to get myself to the hospital and spent a week there undergoing testing.
The doctors told me I had a heart attack. At the time, I didn’t realize it was only the first of many more to come. (more…)
By Jim Hines, heart recipient
A routine physical in 2004 revealed that I had an irregular heartbeat, a surprise to me! I immediately had an internal defibrillator implanted that to keep my heart in rhythm.
Just a few years later I needed knee replacement surgery and my doctors wondered if I was strong enough to handle it. It turns out my heart wasn’t strong enough and in October 2008 I was told I had congestive heart failure. (more…)
