Our Heart Hero's Transplant

This is always hard to write my feeling about Abby's CHD experiences and I'm just her aunt. I have such a respect to her mother for her strength, courage and more. Abby is so amazing and I am so happy that I get to be in her life. It seemed like it took awhile for Abby to be considered to get on the transplant list. I don't know if this is because everyday felt like a week or if it really was a long time. It seemed like she was making daily trips to the hospital to do some kind of test or talk to some kind of doctor or board of doctors. But she was finally put on the transplant list. Our family talked about settling in and bracing ourselves for what we thought was going to be a very long wait. We talked about what it would mean for Abby to get a transplant not just for her but for someone else. Abby was on the list for I think it was about 4 days, if that. I can remember when my mother in law called us and said that Abby was on her way to the hospital. We couldn't believe that a heart was ready for her so fast. I went to work that day but was always either texting or calling to find out what was going on. I will admit selfishly that I was only thinking about Abby. I wasn't thinking about the poor family who was losing their loved one. I think it was because I was so focused on Abby and what I could do to help that it didn't even occur to me what the other family was going through somewhere in another room maybe even in the same hospital. I didn't think about it then, but I Definitely think about it now. A LOT
A family from Colorado was going through the loss of losing their son Jack. They donated his organs in the hope that they could help another. Jack's heart saved Abby. Abby went through all that a transplant patient goes through, endless medicine, weekly checkups to make sure there was no rejection. The scare when there was a sign of rejection. But through it all Abby had her guardian angel Jack to help her through it. I say had, but in reality I think he's still with her today. This spring we will celebrate Abby's 4th year after her transplant. She is in contact with Jack's family and was even able to go to Denver Colorado and participate in a donor run in honor of Jack. She got to meet Jacks family personally and they had the opportunity to listen to the beat of Jacks strong heart in our small heart hero. Abby's mom gives an amazing account of their journey to Colorado. I hope you will read it here.
There is so much more that I feel about this experience, but I have yet to have the chance to really be able to put them into words. I am so thankful for the chance to Have to send funny faced snap chats to this beautiful girl; :) or talk about books or the newest crazy movie that's out; I love watching her perform in her various plays that she does. Mostly I am just so happy that I can be in this sweethearts life and that she is in ours.