Gò0dNews for Life
Don’t Take Your Organs To Heaven
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by Tammy Madden
hen you hear the doctor say, “She won’t live
way in the seashells and sand. We have been able to see her
without a new heart,” how does one process
dress up for her first dance and dance the night away even
those words? You can’t. Not without God. You
though she must use her walker. Next year, we will watch
get on your knees and you pray. You pray hard. Two states
in amazement as she walks across that stage to get her high
away, there is a baby on life support with a brain injury so
school diploma while our eyes fill with tears of happiness.
bad there is no life left in him. The doctors tell his parents,
Through everything we have been blessed with from
“He’s no longer here.” We are keeping him alive with our
her new heart, the most precious thing we have witnessed is
machines. Then the transplant team comes in and asks
the day we met her donor family. Her donor’s mom walked
the hardest question they will ever hear: “Would you like to donate his organs?” There are children waiting for hearts, lungs, kidneys…What does that family do? They have to give it to God too. What does one do in each of these cases? We all pray. Let me tell you from our end. Our own daughter was a heart recipient. Seventeen years ago, we had to decide if it was something God would want. We prayed, and we believed organ donation was the way to go. With two hours left to live, our daughter’s heart came in. With that being said, let me just say that without that heart, we would have never been granted these past beautiful 17 years. We have raised her in church. We have watched her
into our house, and at this point, Megan refused to let
learn to sing praises to our Heavenly Father. We have
anyone touch her but me. She was still a baby. But not this
watched as she swam with dolphins. We have watched
beautiful woman: the minute she reached for Megan, she
as she took Cinderella by the hand and danced at Disney
practically jumped into her arms! She told us later that when
World: not once but twice so far. We have watched her
she told her preacher about how Megan came right to her,
touch lives with her testimony and bring people to the Lord.
her preacher said, “You know, Sarah, you have held that
We have watched her eyes light up as the plane took off for
little heart in your arms many times!” What a blessing organ
her first flight ever! We have watched her start kindergarten
donation became that day: not just on our side but, I believe,
and held her while she cried that first day, and this year, as
on theirs, too. They know their son will live on in our baby
she entered her junior year, even as a special needs child, the
girl. I just hope we can make him proud. So in this month
tables turned; she held me this time while I cried watching
of honoring Organ Donation, I ask you, please, “Don’t take
her grow up.
your organs to Heaven; Heaven knows we need them here.”
We have watched her get to go to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, hold her hands and walk along the beach and see her smile in wonder as she found many of God’s blessings along the
22 // April 2020
About The Author
and enjoy all the sights and rides there. We have gotten to Tammy Madden is the proud mother of Megan Madden, who received a heart transplant on 03/07/03.
