The gathering was held in a hotel ballroom. When we arrived we were quickly greeted by Rob, the Donor Network's executive director, who we met at the hockey game this past February. There were hugs all around and introductions to Alex (who woke up and made his presence known as soon as we arrived!). Rob told us that Joe, the coordinator who took care of us at Strong as we made decisions about Jake's donation, had been waiting for us and would want to see us. Rob got us our name tags (they were all the same, and read "Family of Jacob Rian Campbell") and helped us find a table to sit at. Then he found Joe and sent him over to see us. It was so great to see him. He introduced us to his daughter, who was helping to run a children's table. Then he told us he would like us to be part of a candle lighting ceremony during the afternoon's events. We were very honored and immediately said yes. Then we took some time to look at the donor quilts that were there, composed of patches honoring all kinds of people that have donated organs or tissues. This is something we eventually would like to do, as well.
They started the afternoon by introducing everyone from the donor organizations that were there, as well as representatives from area hospitals, and the organ recipients that were in attendance. Then the recipients helped passed out certificates to the donor families from the surgeon general, recognizing the donor for his or her sacrifice. Next there was a slide show of all the donors whose families were there that day. Id I had to guess I'd say there were at least 50. It was kind of overwhelming to see Jake's photo up there with all these other people who have helped save lives through their own passing, and comforting to know we were surrounded by families who had been through this experience as well. It made me feel like it was completely okay to cry around all these strangers, to know you weren't being judged or considered weak. Ben sat on my lap and kept touching my face and saying, "No tears, Mommy, it's okay." At one point he said, "We miss Jake, but it's okay. And now we have Alex." What a boy.
Then they did the candle lighting. There were five candles: one for our grief, one for our courage, one for our memories, one for our love, and one for our hope. We lit the first candle. Two women from the donor organization read the following:
This candle represents our grief. The pain of losing you is intense. It reminds us of the depth of our love for you.
This candle represents our courage -- to confront our sorrow, to comfort each other, to change our lives.
This candle is in your memory-- the times we laughed, the times we cried, the times were were angry with each other, the silly things you did, and the caring and joy you gave us.
This candle is the light of love. We cherish the special place in our hearts that will always be reserved for you. We thank you for the gift your living brought to each of us.
And this candle is the light of hope. It reminds us of love and memories of you that are ours forever. May the glow of the flame be our source of hopefulness now and forever. We love you.
After the candle lighting there were three donor recipients who spoke about their experiences. The first was a cornea recipient who brought examples of something her vision had made possible -- absolutely beautiful quilts. The next had received an ACL transplant -- something that I didn't know was possible, which has allowed him to carry on with an active lifestyle. Finally, a college freshman who received a liver transplant earlier this year explained how, without a new liver, he wouldn't be here today (his doctors estimated that he had one to five days left at the time of transplant). It was so comforting to hear these individuals share their stories, knowing just what a difference organ donation can make.
Ben provided a bit of comic relief on two occasions, when he introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm three, and I'm Benjamin Thomas Campbell." He was so good the whole time. Andy and I are infinitely proud of him. Alex was a great comfort too -- how nice to have a little one to snuggle with on such a powerful day.
It was a wonderful afternoon -- one we will remember for many years to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment