'Staci stories' and a courageous gift of life

The Facebook social media site asks, “What’s on your mind?” That’s a loaded question most people aren’t going to directly address. There’s a reason thoughts are silent.

However one thing on my mind needs a voice. It happened last week. My friend lost her only daughter to a ruptured brain aneurysm. This doesn’t make the American Top 40 list of popular springtime conversation. However, it’s what happened after that is the attention grabber.

Staci was only 30. Yet she had the wisdom to choose being an organ donor. One donor can save eight lives.

Her mother and I wanted the miracle of life for her during her week in the hospital’s ICU. We didn’t get it but someone — many someones — did.

We won’t know who maybe ever — or at least for enough months to give those transplants a chance to work. Then if there’s an agreement between the donor’s family and recipient they can learn more about each other.

This isn’t an easy process. I’ve since researched it. It took an immense courage for Staci’s mother to sign all the papers and follow through with Staci’s wishes. And it took time to set it up.

Somewhere desperately ill people of all ages — and their families — received the joyous news that a new heart or kidney or liver or lung was on its way.

These organs don’t have a long shelf life outside the body so the rush was on to get them to their recipients.

Imagine the heroics! I am standing on the sideline simply amazed by this stunning team effort. And even now I’ve tried to imagine who had those surgeries over the weekend. To pray for the success of the transplants. For the gift of life given to these people. What they will do and be through their “second chance.”

Organ donation used to kind of creep me out. Not anymore. About 20 patients die each day waiting for a transplant opportunity. Because of Staci there will be eight who don’t.

We all want our lives to count for something. I didn’t know Staci.

Her Facebook page told me one very revealing fact, though. She had posted, “Does anyone else feel guilty using the obituaries for fire starter?”

Even in this minutiae Staci displayed a respect for life. That respect carried her all the way to the inexpressible gift of being an organ donor. I can’t wait for her mom to hear “Staci stories.”