A Real Thanksgiving Story--Today's LA Times...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

By David Zucchino

Reporting from Charlotte, N.C. —
Tom Elliott spoke first. For days, he had been debating what to say when he finally met the mother of the man whose death had saved his life.

Elliott, 63, had once been tethered to an oxygen tank, too weak to walk to his mailbox, as a result of lung and pulmonary diseases. Now, as he stood stiffly in a hospital conference room this month, Elliott squeezed the hand of Carolyn Glaspy.

"I'm the lung recipient," he said finally.

Glaspy fought back tears. At the same Charlotte hospital 11 months earlier, her son, NFL wide receiver Chris Henry, 26, had been declared brain dead after being thrown from the back of a pickup.

Her decision to donate his organs would forge an irrevocable bond with four families. Now they were finally meeting face to face, an extraordinary rendezvous in the recent history of organ donations. Normally donors are anonymous, but Glaspy longed to meet the recipients whose replenished lives promised redemption for her lost son.

The rest at the link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-donor-20101125,0,3089522.story

[jotsy]

1. Precious bonds indeed, Miss Peg.

Thanks for sharing and enjoy the day.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Thank you, my dear Jotsy!

You're most welcome!

[dkf]

3. Organ donation really is the gift of life.

How horrible for that Mom yet she gets to see purpose in her son's death. Still it is heartbreaking.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. It is indeed the gift of life.

And that's why I have the dot on my driver's license that says take whatever you need...

[dkf]

5. Me too.

I was freaked out of the idea at first but I saw my brother had it on his so I figured what the heck.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I look at it this way:

Once I'm gone, I don't need them anymore...

And if they're still usable, then let them go to someone whose life just might depend on getting them.

[UrbScotty]

7. Wow. Thank you for sharing this, my dear CaliforniaPeggy!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. You're welcome, my dear UrbScotty...

This is a topic near and dear to me...

[LibDemAlways]

8. My family has a good friend who had a heart transplant

twenty years ago at age 60 and is still going pretty strong at 80. The miracle of modern medicine.

Thanks for sharing this.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. I knew I had to post this...

It IS such an important topic.

I'm thrilled to hear that your family's friend is doing so well!

And thank you for reading!

[Jeffersons Ghost]

9. K&R

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Thanks!