2005: An Unforgettable Year
Last year, we posted on what would have been Emily’s 19th double lung transplant anniversary and hoped the message was felt in matters of making the most of the time the Lord gives us. We highly encourage you to go back and read (or reread) the message again if you need some encouragement!
It would be a huge miss on our part if we didn’t repost Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s video coverage of her surgery and just how much it changed her life. The hope in her voice and outlook still inspires people today. Her brother, Bryan, also wrote an article in The Lantern that gives perspective into how Emily and her family felt during the process of the transplant.
Emily’s Perspective
Emily faced many hardships in the years following her surgery. Cystic Fibrosis has no cure at this time, so although the new lungs gave her a longer lease on life, it was just an extension, but one she didn’t take for granted. In October 2019, she boldly and rawly conveyed that sentiment in an article on “For Every Mom”.
And then in Emily’s final year in April 2023, she wrote one of her last posts giving insight into her thoughts on organ donation and transplants. What opportunities it had given her! In her own words, she was “eternally grateful that my donor, Suzanne, decided to donate her organs.” An 18-year extension was more than she ever thought possible and it enabled her to be braver than she probably ever thought she could be as she wrote books, was very involved in both her family and church, and even got to be on Jeopardy!
Looking Back, but Moving Forward
Emily was the first person to have a double lung transplant at Nationwide Children’s Hospital 20 years ago, which opened the door for the many that have since and still more to come.
Even stories as recent as December 2023, 16-year old Maggie received a double lung transplant at Children’s after an unexpected diagnosis. It’s a bittersweet overlap, as Emily was also in Children’s and probably would have loved to meet Maggie, but passed away in that same time period. Even so, Emily’s surgery was the start of hope for Maggie and so many others in the future to come. I’m sure she would have had many words of wisdom to pass on, but possibly most of all, she would want everyone to appreciate the now, but keep looking forward towards God and what He has in store for each of us.