My husband, Joe, celebrates two birthdays: his actual birth date in May and the day he received the liver transplant that saved his life. It’s been seven years since I received the call at 4 a.m. on a January morning telling me, “We have a liver for Joe.”
In the early nineties, Joe was diagnosed with NASH Disease, Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis, or Fatty Liver Disease. It was in 2003 that an ultrasound indicated Joe had significant liver damage. At our first appointment at the liver clinic in Chapel Hill, N.C. we were told that without a transplant, Joe had one or two years to live.
After myriad tests, Joe was placed on the transplant list. During the next few months he became very ill. He retained abdominal fluid that required draining every few weeks, had little appetite, lost weight, and became confused. His muscles slowly wasted away.
After the transplant, it was a slow process to get him back to normal, but today, it’s hard to believe that he had been so desperately ill. We’ve been able to do some traveling, spend holidays with family, and do those ordinary things that give life such pleasure. Every day is special but none as meaningful as the day our daughter was married.
When I watched my husband walk our daughter down the aisle, I was overcome by emotion and my eyes flooded with tears. All I could think of was that without the transplant he wouldn’t have been there. One of her brothers would have escorted her. When I looked at those in the pews behind me, I could see that the eyes of our family and close friends also glistened with tears. I knew they were thinking the very same thing.
At the reception, I watched my husband as he toasted the bride and groom with his non-alcoholic champagne. He presented our daughter with the empty cigar box, with “It’s a Girl” on the cover, which he had bought the day she was born. He also gave her a bottle of pink champagne. It was from the case my father-in-law had bought for her christening. The champagne had long since turned to vinegar but the idea of this bottle and cigar box traveling with us from New York to North Carolina and house to house, waiting for this day, brought smiles and cheers to those attending.
On that day, I couldn’t help but think of the donor and his or her family. It’s because of their unselfish gift that my husband was able to be present at our daughter’s wedding. And, it’s because of them that we can look forward to other days with our family and friends.
We show our gratitude for this gift of life by going on with our lives, rejoicing in every adventure, relishing special times with our loved ones, and marveling at every single day together. Could there be a better way to say thank you?
