Consults:
I will admit, this is why I'm a card carrying organ donor. There is so little good that comes from anyones early death. It's ironic that for some people to live, others must die.
RTC: Sneaky Rhea has her journal locked to friends only - not exactly sure why, but everyone else was doing it. If you ever want to create a LJ blog (even if you don't use it), Sneaky would happily friend you. She flew out to visit me this summer (much in the same way you flew out to see Kelly - met on blog, went for vacation). She is also intereste in peds. She knows about your blog because I've told her about it. I think you both would get along.
Keep wondering. Wondering keeps us from rubbing all the mystery off our lives.
That is so weird. There really is no difference between right before he was pronounced and right after the ventilator was started again, is there? I will be thinking about this for a while.
Reservoir?
Thanks for making me cry and think
What a great/touching story.
Made me teary-eyed. Does seeing this ever make you question whether you want to have kids or not one day? Knowing that my baby could be THAT baby makes me wonder.
Wow. My mom was at her father's side when he died. She was 16 and holding is hand. He was in the hospital. And he looked at her and his eyes just stopped moving, he stopped breathing and she said at that moment she felt a shock like electricity go up her hand and arm in the hand that was holding his hand.
I am a believer of ghosts in the machine - souls. Maybe this little guy left when he was first injured. And in my belief system I am sure he is now somewhere else.
What a great perspective you brought to this though Danielle. Instead of going the pointless cruel life route you looked at it so differently.
Impressive. Great and thoughtful post.
Sometimes you can tell. Like the previous poster said - if you are right there when the person passes sometimes amazing things happen.
My bestest friend in the whole world was with her father when he died. She and 4 of her sisters were around him and a 'whoosh' of energy left his chest area, not only visible as an odd mist but so powerful that their hair blew back from their faces as if a 60 mph wind had hit them.
Sometimes.... you can tell.
Seems like one of you should have kissed him goodbye after you pronounced him gone.
I really liked the way that ended, and I'd like to think that the boy with the heart transplant did get it from the boy who died. I'd like to think that was the way it ended.
Wow.
So have you heard of the book "Body of Work". Its probably something that appeals more to non-med students, but it feels just like reading your blog. Maybe you should consider writing a book! I would buy it!
Made me cry and think. 
When I was in college my mom underwent surgery to repair a damaged heart valve following rhuematic fever as a child. She did fairly well with the surgery and being only 53 her prognosis was good. I returned to school to take some finals and then collapsed into a deep sleep. At 1:03am I heard one of my roommates say my name. I got up to see if I had missed a phone call or something but they were all asleep. Since I was up I called to check on my mom. The nurse stammered as she told me that my mom had passed at 1:03 am. I definatly know I don't have all the answers but I do believe even in death we have a purpose.
Hello. I am the smartest man on earth. My name is Nicholas Juntilla. The secret to eternal youth is saving dna from when you are young and mutating it into dna from your older self.... lol k.
I stumbled on your blog through wittaker woman. I am an organ recovery nurse. What you wrote is beautiful and a great representation of donation. Thank you
I had a very similar experience. A young kid had received a head injury then fell into a pool and was brain dead after being resuscitated. So the same process was followed to declare this and the same thing with the family leaving... and then I got to see the miracle side as I was the nurse for the patient that received a kidney. The kidney recipient had just been selected by the make a wish foundation to go on a trip to Disney World and the kidney transplant was actually performed on the day they were scheduled to fly out. So they were interrupted just in time to receive a new kidney to make up for damaged kidneys due to an autoimmune problem if I remember correctly. Anyway the thing that justified the whole ordeal was: as I knew the one family was crying and beginning their grieving process; I knew the other family's beepers or cellphones were going off as what could be considered a miracle for them had just taken place.
One can only hope that that child's death brought life to another.
keep writing. please.
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