Earlier this year one of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 first ever face-to-face meetings between a heart transplant recipient and the family of their organ donor took place.
VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Carrie Jung met Marie and Daryl Doherty at MarieB次元官网网址檚 home in Pitt Meadows on Feb. 20. The pair are the mother and brother of Darcy Doherty, who donated his heart when he died at the age of 37.
Jung and the DohertyB次元官网网址檚 had been in touch with each other since DarcyB次元官网网址檚 heart allowed Carrie to continue living after a heart failure saw her sit on the transplant list for seven years.
B次元官网网址淏C transplant has always encouraged recipients to write a letter after the transplant to express their gratitude,B次元官网网址� Jung said. B次元官网网址淪o 18 years ago, after my heart transplant, I wanted to write a letter to my donor family, and I had hoped that they would respond and they did.
B次元官网网址淎s a result, for the past 17-and-a-half years, we continued to correspond anonymously through BC Transplant.B次元官网网址�
Due to a privacy policy in place, the two parties were never allowed to share names, addresses, or telephone numbers, etc., so it was not until February that they were finally able to meet in person.
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In the meantime, it had been very important to Carrie to maintain contact.
B次元官网网址淣ot only was it important because of the gratitude that I felt; it was also because I felt a sense of responsibility,B次元官网网址� Carrie said.
B次元官网网址淚 knew that I had received someoneB次元官网网址檚 heart, and I had vowed to myself that I would take care of it to the best of my ability.
B次元官网网址淚 thought I owed it to the donor family to let them know how well IB次元官网网址檝e been doing with this new heart, and to let them know all the activities that IB次元官网网址檝e been able to do B次元官网网址� the way that I live my life, the way that IB次元官网网址檝e been able to continue to work, and continue to travel B次元官网网址� all of the things that I would not have been able to do had it not been for his heart.B次元官网网址�
Carrie said she had never tried to find out who the DohertyB次元官网网址檚 were, as she thought it would never be possible. It was only recently that she found out Marie had been fighting for 17 years for the chance to meet her face-to-face.
In December, Carrie said she received a phone call from a BC Transplant social worker offering her the opportunity to meet her donorB次元官网网址檚 family.
Due to a recently updated , transplant recipients are now able to communicate directly withe the family of their organ donors.
She jumped at the chance to meet the DohertyB次元官网网址檚, but trepidation set in as the meet-up date approached.
B次元官网网址淭he social worker came to pick me up to see Marie and Daryl, and when I got into his car, the first thing I said to him was, B次元官网网址業 feel nervous,B次元官网网址� so that was when it really hit me.B次元官网网址�
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As soon as she came saw the DohertyB次元官网网址檚 however, the nerves disappeared.
B次元官网网址淚t felt like meeting people that IB次元官网网址檇 known for a very long time, but had not seen for a very long time,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t felt like a reunion, that we were finally able to be together again.B次元官网网址�
Marie Doherty was equally ecstatic to meet Carrie.
B次元官网网址淲e had waited so long to finally meet her, and sheB次元官网网址檚 such a lovely person,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淲e were so happy, and sheB次元官网网址檚 happy-go-lucky like my son was.B次元官网网址�
Despite being in touch anonymously for so long, Marie always held out hope she would eventually meet her sonB次元官网网址檚 donor recipient in person.
B次元官网网址淭hough we lost Darcy, we were happy that at least he gets to live on in her.B次元官网网址�
ronan.p.odoherty@blackpress.ca
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