There are times when I enjoy a rainy day. Today, here in Massachusetts, it’s one of those days.
Rainy day’s remind me of when Lauren was in the hospital. When it was raining she told a friend of ours Norm, that all she wants to do is jump in puddles again. He talked with her for quite a while to boost her spirits and then told her when she gets out of the hospital they would jump in puddles together.
The day we were released from the hospital, when we pulled into our driveway, there was a huge balloon saying “welcome home Lauren” and also they were tied to a pair of yellow rain boots.
I thought it was the most thoughtful gift. Norm remembered the conversation and went out of his way to do this.
When we had a welcome home party for Lauren, now this was a big party. We had it at a hall,( they donated it to us), I can say there must have been over 300 people who showed up. When people enter, we brought the yellow rain boots and put them in the entry. Those yellow boots mean a lot to Lauren. They are now a reminder of how many people love her and of this special man who gave her encouragement through her journey.
So Norm, Lauren has her boots on today……..
Enjoy the day and when it rains, go outside and jump in puddles because you can.
Friendships……we all have them. Some are close and some are distant. Some are family members and some are people you haven never met face to face.
When I think of all the friends I have, my mind thinks of everyone I care about. I am blessed to be able to say that my husband IS my best friend.
I have 2 girlfriends that I have been friends with for over a decade. We may not talk everyday or even for weeks, but I know they are there for me and I will always be there for them, no matter what.
My daughter, Lauren calls me her best friend. We have been through much together. Not only mother daughter stuff, but just hanging out together. I feel we have a very special relationship.
Then I have special neighbors I call friends. Again, I can say I am very blessed to live in the best neighborhood in the world.
And now I have many new friends, that I have met writing this blog. I can honestly say I know people all over the world.
When I meet someone who has gone through some life experiences similar to mine, there is a bond we share. Then a friendship begins.
In writing this post, I would like to say, it really made me stop many times to think of everyone I love, family and friends. I would not be the person I am today without them.
I know that most of you answer yes to this. It is normal, life is exhausting. Being physical or emotional or at times just both. Today, I’m emotionally exhausted. The last couple of days did me in.
Sometimes I just sit back and think, oh you are stronger than this, hell you spent almost 2 years living in a hospital with your daughter. Seeing my husband only on weekends, then dealing with watching my daughter at the beginning get weaker, then after the transplant watching her struggle to get better.
The nightmares do not go away, they fade, but they are always there. Whenever Lauren has a procedure done, it takes so much out of me. I say to myself, “I can’t do that again”, but if I needed to, I know I would be able to find the strength.
All the news was good, so it’s time to take a deep breath and take a little time for myself. I think I only need an hour or two. Maybe, I need to watch a good Life Time movie to relax.
All of our lives are different, some the same in ways and others totally different, but I do know we all get emotionally exhausted at times, no matter who we are. And I guess that’s ok.
MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY AND TRY TO MAKE TOMORROW BETTER.
I guess my audience is you if you are reading this. I would like to send a heart-felt “thank you”for following my blog.
Today’s post is about organ donor’s and their families. One in particular, Lauren’s heart donor.
When Lauren was placed on the heart transplant list, I knew that someone had to die for my daughter to live. It took me a long time to comprehend this thought. As days turned into weeks, than months of living in the hospital waiting, I had a lot of talks with the Dear Lord. My daughter was getting sicker and sicker, and all I kept thinking was maybe today. Now, here I am, praying Lauren would receive a heart, in the back of my mind out of all the deaths every day, please be Lauren’s match.
Lauren’s donor
To this date we still have no idea who Lauren’s donor was. The picture above, I believe could be her. The only thing the doctors would tell us was “if you just had a baby, the baby would be wearing pink”. So we know it was a female.
To all the families out there that have lost a loved one, and they were an organ donor. I am so, so sorry for your loss. Please take a little comfort in knowing that they saved others. Also with respect, as a mother of a child who is an organ recipient we know it is your choice to be known to the other family.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Mary Jo Gase was a big fan of her son, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Joey Gase.
“I was told she would yell up in the grandstands, ‘Go, Joey, Go!'” he recounted during a visit to Children’s of Alabama hospital today. “Everyone around her would tell her, ‘Mary, Joey can’t hear you. He’s in the race car right now. It’s a little loud.’ She would say, ‘I don’t care. That’s my boy out there.'”
Joey Gase Sees Progress
Joey Gase is a youthful looking 21-year-old. He is so youthful, in fact, that many questioned whether he has a license to drive on city streets. But the native Iowan says he can see improvement in himself and his team as Talladega weekend approaches in the Nationwide Series. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr./screnshawjr@al.com)
Nowadays, the younger Gase hears his mom in his mind, and in his heart. Mary Jo Gase died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in April 2011. That’s what made his visit today to transplant patients at Children’s particularly personal for him.
“I know how hard I’m sure it is for them,” he said. “I’ve never been quite on this side before, how hard it is for them waiting for one of their organs and also, if they have received one, hoping that it’s going to be a successful one.”
Gase will drive the No. 52 Donate Life Chevy in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. On the lid of the car’s trunk will a picture of Savannah Sides, a 5-year-old who insisted on registering to be an organ donor exactly one month before she was killed in a car accident.
Since he was 18 and his mother was unmarried at the time, the young race car driver had a major role in the decision to donate his mother’s organs.
“We made the call as a family but I was the one who had to sign all the paperwork,” he said, acknowledging a bit of weight on his shoulders. “But I knew it’s what my mom would have wanted. Later we found out that was absolutely 100 percent for sure what she wanted when we found her driver’s license and she was already a registered donor.”
Gase family.jpeg
Joey Gase poses for a family picture with his mother Mary Jo and sister Ashley. (Submitted photo)
Gase said his mother was able to improve the lives of 66 people.
“She was able to donate almost everything,” he said. “Her heart valves and her lungs went to research, and her corneas and skin tissue. Me, my sister have been fortunate enough to be able to meet one of my mom’s recipients who received one of her kidneys.”
That meeting really meant something to the race driver.
“When we met him, it made it that much more special to know that my mom is still living on through him,” he said. “If it wasn’t for her, most likely he wouldn’t be here today.”
When I look at this picture, I keep thinking is it a rare time when we can be together. It is hard, I live in Mass., my mother and sister Laureen lives in Florida and my sister Donna lives in Virginia.
When we do have the opportunity to come together, there are so many emotions we feel. We do not have the privilege to see each other when we want. I cannot just take a ride over to their house’s for coffee or celebrate birthday’s & holiday’s. Our children are almost around the same age, so when they were young we tried as much as we could to be together, but that meant a trip. We all felt it was important that the cousins knew each other and were able to grow a bond together.
As we grew older, you can say we are all set in our ways, (we all think we are right) so when we do come together all our emotions come out. We know we have only short time together, so I really believe we want to, let me put it this way voice our comments being good or bad to each other. We laugh, we cry, we argue but in the end we love each other with all our hearts. We do have each others back no matter what. My husband thinks at times we are crazy, but he doesn’t realize how hard it is to not have your family close by. His family lives right here in Chicopee, so if he wants to spend time with his dad, he can.
Everyone know that saying:
You Hold A Special Place In My Heart
A heart is a magical organ, without it, life is done. It is the vital organ that keeps us all alive. A broken heart has many meaning, first it means health problems. Second it could mean love problems.
Love problems could be fixed with time and moving forward, but when someone has heart health problems, that is when we need people to go forward to be able to help. Hate to say it again, but organ donation could be the only answer for thousands of people.
If you live close to your family you are blessed, if not cherish every moment you have together.
new heart = new beginnings 