To B A "Liver Mom": Honoring JULIA

"Without the organ donor, there is no story, no hope, no transplant. But when there is an organ donor, life springs from death, sorrow turns to hope and a terrible loss becomes a gift. -- UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing)

About 1 month following Elise's life-saving liver transplant, I sat down and wrote a letter to her donor family. It was such a hard letter to write, knowing that there just aren't words to adequately convey our appreciation for their gift--their decision to donate life. According to our organ procurement agency guidelines, the letter had to be written anonymously, and our transplant coordinator would see that the letter was made available to the family. I was told that the family may or may not accept the letter, and even if it was accepted, there was no guarantee that the family would respond either immediately or in the future. All I knew was that I wanted to write the letter, and of course, I hoped and prayed that we would be able to connect with our "donor angel's family."

Not only have we received a response from our donor family…..we are blessed to have met them and developed a special relationship with them. Elise will grow up knowing Julia-- the angel that saved her life by making the decision to become an organ donor.

Let me introduce you to Julia…

Julia Wardwell was 20 years old when she left this world amidst love and friendship. She was a devoted mother and nursing student who aspired to become a pediatric nurse, and she inspired those who knew her through her compassion, courage, and strength. Julia loved music--music was her "therapy." She loved coconut-pecan Mexican popsicles and Raising Cane's chicken. The fact that Julia signed herself up to be an organ donor shortly before she passed away is so true to her selfless, kind, and caring spirt which is dearly missed by all who knew her. We are so grateful to have learned about Julia, her huge heart, and her plans to save lives. She reminds us, "It's never too late to be what you might have been."