Dear Friends,
It has been a little over a month since I last wrote to update all of you on our journey. Many exciting things have taken place over the past month and God continues to answer prayers and open doors allowing us to share our journey with others.
God continues to bless me in my recovery process as my strength and endurance increase through my exercise program. Just 2 and 1/2 weeks ago I was trying to get Kylie and or Debbie to walk with me in the Fort Lauderdale 1/2 marathon [13.1 miles] but they didn`t seem to have the same enthusiasm to get up at 4am on a Sunday morning, so I went on my own and did 6.5 miles that morning as part of my exercise for the day. It is still so amazing to me how God has been restoring my body from where I was just 5 months ago.
On February 24, I attended a dinner in Miami as a guest of Alex Binstock and Randy Ellzey for the purpose of raising awareness for Donor Organs and Transplant Research. Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat was the guest speaker as he had a Kidney Transplant several years ago. As he spoke, it was neat to hear him say that when he was diagnosed with his kidney disease and the need to have a kidney transplant, he asked God not why, but what was he to do with this journey in his life to help others. That was so similar to how I felt in February 2006 as I was told that without a lung transplant, I would not survive 3 to 5 years. How amazing is God, that 3 and 1/2 years later, I would receive a new life through a double lung transplant. My continued goal is to Glorify God and to honor Him and my donor for the new life given to me. At the dinner that evening, I think I was the only one in the room with a mask on which is worn to protect my new lungs. It is a little awkward feeling at times to wear the mask, but at the same time it gives me quite a unique opportunity to share my faith in a way not many people are blessed with. One of the guests at my table was a man whose 23 year old daughter had died while awaiting organ transplant because the availability was not there in time for her. The need for people to be listed as "Organ Donors" is so big and that out of a tragic event in a person's life, many other lives can be saved as a result of which obviously I am one!! God has been so good!! As I spoke to the man who lost his daughter as a result of no organs being available at the time of her death, I again felt so humbled that I have been so blessed in my journey.
Last Monday, Debbie and I went to Jacksonville for our scheduled 2 days of testing/consultations at the Mayo Clinic for lung transplant follow-up. All tests came out very positive and it is always so neat to watch the expressions and eyes of the doctors as they share results of the tests with us. The prayers of so many continued to be answered. While we were in Jacksonville, we ran into a lady that is awaiting lung transplant and was one of the patients who was in my re-hab class when I had to do a 6 minute walk test prior to being discharged from the cardio/pulmonary re-hab classes. Debbie and I stopped to speak to her and I shared with her how awkward I felt that day doing my testing in front of her and all of those people on oxygen who were in re-hab to try and strengthen their bodies while awaiting transplant. She responded by saying how encouraged they all were as they watched what I was able to do and that it gave them hope as to what they would be able to do after transplant as well. On Tuesday afternoon, between tests we went to the Lung Transplant Support Group meeting and it was quite different than the first one we had attended back in November. Prior to the meeting starting, I noticed many of the people were on oxygen, which meant they were ones awaiting transplant. As the meting started, one of the first to share was a lady who shared that her husband had transplant 4 months ago and was still in the hospital. As she shared her story, I sat thinking again how different my story is and just how unbelievably blessed we are. As the meeting went for almost 2 hours, many of the questions the people on oxygen and their caregivers had centered around how do you deal with your health and condition prior to surgery, how do you prepare for being called, how do you deal with life after surgery.......it was neat though as I was called on to answer many of those questions, how not only my answers but others transplant patients spoke of their faith in God is what will get you through these challenging times. It was again a reminder to both Debbie and I of how far God has brought us in our journey and how we want to be used for His Glory through this unique platform He has blessed us with.
This past Saturday night after church, we were blessed to be honored by a surprise 25th Wedding Anniversary party. It was a fun time and an opportunity to share what God is doing in our lives. After arriving home that night, we were all tired from a long day as we had been preparing and setting up to host Kylie's annual end of season family/team celebration dinner on Sunday night at our home. At about 11:30 am Sunday morning, I sat down to take a break from working outside to open the mail from Saturday. As usual, there was mail from the Mayo Clinic and I figured this letter was either a bill or a copy of the results from the past weeks test results with a cover letter being sent to my private pulmonologist. It was neither one. It was actually another gift from God in the form of a response letter from my donor's mom!!! My donor's name was Timothy and his mom's name is Rosemary. Rosemary stated that her son was a very giving child and that he would be happy to know that he saved 4 lives and how she would like to meet all 4 of the recipients if possible. Speaking for myself, I know she will at least meet one of the recipients!!! She closed her letter with "May God Bless each and every one of the recipients". How awesome is that. A new chapter in Operation Breath of Life is about to be written. It was obviously very emotional to sit and read and re-read this letter through the course of the day. Even as I write this and look at her letter, it is so amazing to think I am alive because of the sacrifice from someone else's tragedy. I again ask God why me, why was I saved and not someone else and how I want to be sure to do what it is God wants me to do as I live out my life.
I will no longer continue to refer to my donor's family as the "Mathews Family" [the name I had previously given them while awaiting a response and which means "Gift of God"] but will refer to them as "Timothy's Family" [which in the Greek means: "Giving Honor"]. How neat is it that as Debbie and I have always had a passion to work with young people that my donor's first name would be Timothy. As I read 1 Timothy 4:12-16, these verses have a whole new meaning in my life and how it is such a part of the Miracle that my donor's name would be Timothy.
In closing, as always, I would ask that you continue to pray for "Timothy's Family" and specifically as I write to his mom Rosemary and work towards meeting with her in the near future. I will keep you posted as to how that plays out and I look forward to sharing with you again soon!! God Bless each of you and thank you each again for your love, friendship and prayers through this journey in life. I so look forward to sharing with Timothy's mom Rosemary so many of your stories and how God has used this event in life to encourage and grow so many of us and how many lives have been affected and changed for the Cause of Christ. My hope would be that not only will 4 lives be saved through Timothy's death, but that many more will be saved through Christ as a result of Timothy's death.
Love in Christ,
Rick and Debbie
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