08/12/2026
Its hard to believe, but Eli turned 22 today. It's hard to remember sometimes when he was just a little boy. It seems like a dream I've been having for so long. When they told me that time flies, I never knew it really did. I can now sit back and appreciate my sons as they are, as young men. He makes me smile everyday with his quick wit, sense of humor, and intellect. I am so thankful for every day I get to be a part of my children's journey. They need me a lot less than ever and while that makes me proud, it is also bittersweet. So Happy 22nd Birthday to Eli. I can't wait to watch you follow your path this next year too.
As we all know, today is a special for another reason. Today is the 8th Heartiversary of his heart transplant. Today is a day that we celebrate being able to have Eli for 8 years that we wouldn't have without the gift of Life. While we smile today, we also remember his donor and their family. They have been such a huge part of our lives without even knowing. We are grateful with every breath and we think about their grief at a time we have joy. They are the reason we can.
Most of you don't know this, but a few weeks ago I sent a letter to the family of his donor. I didn't know any info about the donor at all. We weren't told age, gender, place, etc. We just knew they were our Angel. They were the miracle that we needed. I knew in my heart that there was a family that may be waiting on that letter. I emailed it to MidAmerica Transplant and they forward it to the family only if the family wanted. They tell us not to put identifiable info in it, but I snuck in my phone number. What the heck, right?
I received a text message less than a week after I sent it! It was their family and yes, they had been praying to hear from us. We spoke on the phone for a long time and I was able to tell them how the choice to Donate Life at the worst time in their lives had not only saved Eli, but allowed him to live a full healthy life for the 1st time. His heart was no longer missing half, struggling to mix just enough oxygen to feed his body, but not enough to let him run with his peers. The heart they now share is a Miracle. They were so nice and told me all about their loved one. They spoke with such love and told me about their Legacy. They felt it as a Blessing that I wrote and that their own heart got a little piece back knowing everything Eli has been able to do and continues to. They will grieve and miss their loved one every day until the last day no matter if they heard or not, but this is able to give them joy which is what I was hoping for with that letter. We hope to have a relationship for longer than that call.
As of now, I am keeping things vague about things because Eli is taking it all in. We are going slow bc while it is easy for me to know, it is incredibly difficult for him. I can't know how it feels to have a heart transplant. So those closest to us know more details than even he knows yet. We are not rushing and I don't want to be pushy bc I know that I am. I hope that one day I get to hug that family and thank them in person. If Eli decides that he would like to, then they would definitely like to meet him. All this just happened, so if there are any updates. I'm sure I'll write about it.
