Dear Donor Family,
I have always had you on my mind and want to express how very, very grateful I was to be able to have someone like your loved one give so greatly of oneself. I am truly sorry for your loss and can only empathize with how awful and saddening that is, but please be aware that this incredible and unconditional gift provides me with the opportunity to live and begin a family with my wife.
Last year I was shocked to find by going into the hospital for severe back problems that it was not a hernia, but something called autoimmune hepatic cirrhosis. It is not very common, but a very serious condition which had damaged my liver excessively. At 41 years old I found it very difficult to wrap my head around the severity of the situation. I had been told I might have to wait a very long time. I tried to live my life as normally as I could, but patience is a hard virtue to have when it’s your life. Then suddenly in early October a call from my hospital came and set everything in motion. Almost four months have passed now and my recovery gets better day-by-day and it could not have happened without him or without you. Every day, from surgery to now, I remind myself how blessed I am and how incredible it is that someone like him chose to save someone else, a someone like me. As a donor myself, I can only hope that one day I can also provide the same relief to another and their loved ones as well.
I cannot seem to find the best words to express my supreme gratitude other than to say thank you. Thank you and bless you.
A.R.
Additionally, my wife kept a blog during the process of recovery which you are more than welcome to check out.
https://kateholekamp.wordpress.com/
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