In May 2012, I received the phone call that every parent fears. The phone call from a police officer telling you that your child has been involved in an accident. My son Tyler was hit by a transport truck and his injuries were catastrophic. We were told we had to wait 48 hours before we knew what his outcome would be. Unfortunately we did not receive the miracle we wanted but were asked if we would consider donating his organs. We never spoke to our children about this - they're kids, they are supposed to outlive us. But, knowing the type of kid he was, we knew this was something he would want.
Our family later learned that Tyler was going to save the lives of 5 people, restore sight to 2 people and provide tissue.
After I lost my son, I went to a very dark place. I felt alone and my heart was broken. I had two daughters and two sons who were also going through their own pain and while I tried hard to support them, I'm sure it wasn't enough. I made a promise to my son before he passed; I promised him that if he had to go 'home' that it was ok, I would be ok. I decided to reach out to and send letters to the recipients of his organs. I really wanted them to know that we wanted nothing but the best for them and wished them a speedy recovery for a long life.
Not long after, I received a letter from his heart recipient. Tyler had saved his life and given his children back their father. I remember reading that letter to my son and telling him how proud I was. Someone would live because of him.
We continued sending letters to one another but because of privacy issues, our meeting was never permitted, nor was sharing of any personal information. By some strange miracle, a friend of mine worked with the heart recipient and we learned the truth through many questions.
Dave and I met face to face and words just cannot describe the impact that had on my life. We are now family and the bond we share is precious. While the pain of loss was unbearable at times, being able to donate saved my life. I'm beyond grateful for that.
