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April 20, 2009

TRIBUNE-STAR EDITORIAL: Maggie’s gift — Difficult decisions that can save lives

Anonymous The Tribune Star Mon Apr 20, 2009, 09:00 AM EDT

A week ago today, on Page 1 of your Sunday Tribune-Star, reporter Arthur Foulkes wrote about organ donation. Part of the excellent information presented was how those who make the decision to designate themselves as organ donors in the event of death instantly create the potential of saving as many as eight lives.

It is an amazing concept that many, many residents of Indiana embrace. And the importance of such a decision isn’t just in raw numbers. The impact ultimately is on people — the recipients of organ donation and their families.

April is Donate Life Month, a time when attention is focused on the life-renewing act of organ donation. While Indiana ranks third among the 50 states for licensed drivers who have indicated a willingness to become donors, many more are needed. As Foulkes explained last Sunday, more than 1,000 Hoosiers are awaiting organ transplants, and more than 100,000 nationwide.

The realm of organ donation, for those close to it and those who experience some phase of it, is very real and highly charged. The story of any particular donation carries with it a wide range of emotion, from the sheer joy and newfound hope of a recipient, to the grief and sorrow of those close to the deceased donor.

It may well be the uncomfortable, even unpleasant thought of that grief and sorrow that prevents some from considering becoming an organ donor. But for those uneasy thinking about the unthinkable, ponder the words of a local woman who has experienced it.

Linda Vicory of Terre Haute knows what’s it like to face the daunting decisions surrounding organ donation. After she read last Sunday’s news stories, she was moved to share her personal story, and to encourage readers to think seriously about the matter.

Here, in Linda’s words, is her story:

• • •

Thank you for the nice article on organ donation over the [past] weekend. I have always believed in donation.

It recently became more of a reality for my family. Our daughter, Maggie, sustained fatal injuries in an automobile accident in February. My husband and I decided the only good that could come from it, was for Maggie to continue to live on through others, and one way for that to happen was organ donation.

Her miracle has given life to others now. We have already gotten a letter from the mother who received her pancreas, and while it brought tears to our eyes, it did bring some joy, to know her gift was so greatly appreciated.

It is a hard decision, when you're sitting there in pain and grief in the hospital, but I hope families can muster up the strength to make that decision and save other lives.

— Linda Vicory, Terre Haute

• • •

Five-year-old Maggie Vicory, a student at Oubache School and an orange belt in Tae Kwan Do, died less than two months ago when the family car crashed on an icy road in Vermillion County. In the throes of grief, her parents had the strength to grapple with the awesome decision to donate their precious daughter’s organs so that another young child could live. Now, they are comforted knowing that Maggie’s gift has brought indescribable joy to another family.

Maggie’s story vividly illustrates the impact of organ donation. Her parents were undoubtedly proud of her. For what they did in the wake of her tragic death, we are certain she would be proud of them.

If you have not done so, we urge you to become an identified organ donor. Make that indication on your driver’s license. But don’t stop there. Make sure your closest family members know your intentions.

And if you need more encouragement, consider the words of Philip Trout, a recipient of a donor kidney whom Foulkes quoted extensively last week.

“Even through tragedy and death, life can arrive,” Trout said. “I’m living proof of that.”

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