My mother, my forever hero, passed away at age 46, just three days after my 24th birthday – a birthday I will remember forever. As poor as I know she felt, she still mustered the energy to put on her best self to go out to dinner with my dad, my brother, her own mom, and I to celebrate. She, just the year before, had been diagnosed with Melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers. I moved back home for a bit after college during this time and I am so glad I had the opportunity to share this extra time with her – she still had some good days, along with the rough days, memories I will cherish forever. I still tell many of these stories – she was such a fun person to be around. She fought a good fight, but in the end the cancer took over. She did, however assure she was an organ donor and wanted to donate life to others. She actually spoke of this quite often as something she wanted to do. In the end, with the cancer spread, it would only be her eyes that could be saved. We did later receive a letter to let us know that her eyes were successfully passed on to another, so a little beacon of light did come with this painful loss. Her wish of joy for another was still granted. My mother was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met and everyone I have met that has known her would share the same. She spent her life looking after and caring for others – I’m so thankful and lucky she was my mother, my friend, and the best ever caregiver and cheerleader for me and my brothers. I will forever feel fortunate to call her my mother, and forever hold in high regard her choice to share life and be an organ donor – a gift of life and opportunity for another that I choose to carry forward myself as an organ donor as well. Take care of one another and cherish all the days!
