In their own words: Six families share the impact of organ donation

This is the season for gratitude and giving, a time to celebrate friends, family, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. But for a select group, it also is a time to celebrate one of the greatest gifts — the gift of life through organ donation. Mickey was born with a unique combination of congenital heart defects and spent most of his early life at Boston Children’s. He was one day shy of 6 months old when he received his heart transplant, and his family is grateful for every day since. “Mickey has shown us what courage and resiliency look like, and his transplant has taught us the true meaning of giving. He has touched so many lives and because of him, we have met so many amazing children and families, whose hearts and hopes far surpass their diagnoses.” Laura received her liver transplant shortly after being diagnosed with biliary atresia. Though her family doesn’t know who her donor was, they do know it was a child around that same age and are so grateful that parents could open their hearts to save a stranger’s child in a time of grieving. She is fortunate to have encountered minimal complications post transplant, and her sister has been inspired to study medicine and one day become a doctor. “We always talked about being organ donors before Laura’s transplant, but now we’re advocates. You look at things differently when your own child is sick, and you learn to appreciate every little moment, because it means that much more.”   K...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories double lung transplant heart transplant hepatoblastoma kidney transplant Liver transplant multivisceral transplant Pediatric Transplant Center (PTC) Source Type: news