A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO KAY FOR THE GIFT OF HERSELF :)

     I wrote the following letter several months ago after my second surgery to my tissue donor from my first surgery.  I didn't know their name...only a number....but the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation will send the letter to your donor if you send the letter to them.   Today I received a response to my letter--I wanted to share both letters with you.

MY LETTER WRITTEN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO
     I would like to drop you a note to express my sympathy in the death of your family member and to thank you for your gift of donated tissue. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2009. It was caught in the very early stages but I had to make some difficult choices. I chose to have a bilateral masectomy with breast reconstruction on February 22, 2010. Your donated tissue was used in the form of ALLOGRAFT inside of me to create a pocket for the tissue expanders. The tissue expanders were removed on May 24, 2010 and the final reconstruction was done. It has all been very successful and the doctor says I have done better than 98% of his patients going through this process. I want to say thank you for helping to make that possible with your gift.
     I work as a physical therapist and I am a mom to 4 kids….2 of my own and 2 older step-children. I am a grandma to two little girls…they are such sweeties! They don’t live closeby but we try to visit every 3-4 months. We are very involved with our church family and so many prayers surrounded me as I went in surgery…you are a part of that answer to prayer…I will never ever forget all the support I received from family and friends. Cancer is a terrible disease and it makes my heart heavy to hear of another person diagnosed with it…
     I would love to know about the person/family that helped me continue with my life—My family and I are so thankful for them!
With gratitude and a thankful heart,

Jennifer
Burlington, Kentucky

MY LETTER THAT I RECEIVED TODAY
Jennifer and family,
     Thank you for your letter of appreciation for the donated tissue from my wife.  It is reassuring to know that her early death was not a total loss.  Kay was a very active person both physically and socially.  As a social worker and counselor she touched many lives.  She had a way of putting people at ease such that they would reveal some of their most private concerns with her.  A real gift!
     We both liked to do outdoor activities.  We were able to go to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for 23 consecutive years.  The wilderness experience was spiritually uplifting.  We also went backpacking in the wilderness areas of Wyoming.  Backpacking at 10,000 feet in the mountains will give you an idea of the physical condition Kay was in. 
     We lived what some people called a voluntary simplistic life.  We built our own home from cutting the trees, sawing the lumber and pounding the nails.  The house is small, about 1000 sq feet.  That is because we believe in leaving a small footprint on this land, both from the materials and energy consumed.  We also have a large garden which produces enough vegetables for use and enough to give away to our friends. 
     Giving was a big part of what defined Kay.  She wanted other people to succeed, so would do what she could to help the cause.  Her last project was to help the new county agent set up a community garden. 

Wishing you a full and peaceful recovery from a challenging event in your life.

Mike