A Heart for Granddaddy

aMr. Sullivan, a he said, ait is my opinion that you are going to need a heart transplant.a The words were a terrible pounding in my ears reverberating through my brain. Heart transplant I could not believe my ears. I looked at my loving wife and saw a look of total shock and disbelief. She could not speak. Thus began a three-year period of waiting for heart transplant surgery and recovery that would impact our entire family. This is a story of fear, frustration, anger, physical and spiritual recovery, and the inexplicable joy of getting a second lease on life. It was written to stimulate increased awareness of the critical need for organ donors and to give insight into my spiritual journey during the dark days of the illness. It is also the story of a young girl whose wisdom and compassion beyond her sixteen years led her to become an organ donor.