Ever since I first started working with organ transplant recipients and their support systems, donors, and donor families, I have been driven to educate the public about this miraculous process of giving life from one person to another. Many myths abound in the community about organ donation and transplantation that prevent people from committing to organ donation. For years, I have searched for ways to provide accurate information to the public to help them better understand the process of organ donation and transplantation.
Each state has an organ-procurement organization that trains volunteers, many of them organ recipients, people waiting for a transplant, and donor families, to speak to schools and organizations, as well as providing booths at fairs, churches, etc. Even so, thousands of potential recipients die every year because there are not enough donors.
When I became aware of Inspiring Voices, I realized that I already had written about several patients who had deeply touched me. It occurred to me that by making their journeys available in book form, many more people could be reached. My Christmas of Miracles and Other Short Stories about Organ Transplant was written to bring their stories to life.