a word from robin

January 2008

Mayflower has suffered through some agonizing losses of late, and we have been searching for good news to celebrate. That news has come in the form of a young man named Chandler West, the grandson of Mayflower members Kay and Bill Culver. After learning that he had a degenerative heart disease, and would only survive with a full heart transplant, Chandler and his family began the ultimate waiting game. Then, suddenly as a heart became available (undoubtedly because another life was suddenly and tragically lost), Chandler was rushed into what is perhaps the most unlikely and miraculous surgery of all.

It happened in St. Louis, at a medical facility which specializes in heart transplants, where everyone held their breath. Even an otherwise healthy 17-year old can reject a transplanted organ, and the first 48 hours are crucial. Everything went well. Now, he has been tested for rejection, and the results: ZERO. No rejection at all. Now he's coming home to Oklahoma City.

By the time you read this, you may already have met Chandler, but if not, please just consider what such a miracle means, and what we might learn from it. It was tragically unfair that Chandler's heart was damaged. It was tragically unfair that the donor lost his (or her) life. But we live in an age in which it is possible to reverse one tragedy by redeeming another. Death can produce life, as the end of one life can mean the survival of another. Make sure your driver's license indicates that you are an organ donor, and sign it.

Then join me in sharing with this family your joy at what has happened, and let's never forget that human beings are capable of miraculous things. If we can perform a surgery like this, to save one life, we can surely turn all our creativity and knowledge toward the saving of other lives--even to saving the planet itself.

A note to Kay and Bill Culver would be wonderful. Their address is: 6901 Edgewater Dr., OKC, OK 73116. If you would like to watch a wonderful news report from St. Louis about Chandler (channel four will be doing one also), go to this link: LINK

Angels we have hear on high

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