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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2016)
Saturday, February 27, 2016 VIEWPOINTS East Oregonian Page 5A ‘Somebody else’s miracle’ O Q)HEUXDU\P\\HDUROG FRXVLQ0DGLVRQ-HZHOO%DLUGJDYH KHUKHDUWWRD\HDUROGJLUO,WKDG nothing to do with romance, but it was an act RILQFUHGLEOHJHQHURVLW\DQGORYH Madison was hit by a truck on the HYHQLQJRI)HEDVVKHURGHKHUELNH RQDFRXQWU\URDGRXWVLGH:DOOD:DOOD +HUDFFLGHQWRFFXUUHGMXVWGD\VDIWHU P\VWHSIDWKHU¶VEURWKHU6WDQOH\0RUULVRQ VXIIHUHGDVHYHUHFHUHEUDOKHPRUUKDJH Both accidents caused EUDLQGHDWK(YHQWKRXJK their bodies were mostly healthy, they had no chance RIUHFRYHU\ Stan and Maddy were both registered organ GRQRUVDQGRYHUWKHFRXUVH of three terrible weeks, the Natalie PHPEHUVRIP\H[WHQGHG St. John family got a crash course Comment LQWKHGHOLFDWHFRPSOH[ and high-stakes process of organ donation and placement — and we GLVFRYHUHGWKDWLQWKHPLGVWRIWUDJHG\RUJDQ DQGWLVVXHGRQDWLRQPDNHVLWSRVVLEOHWR¿QG KRSHDQGFUHDWHRSSRUWXQLW\IRURWKHUV $IWHU6WDQ¶VGHDWK,ZDQWHGWRZULWH DVWRU\DERXWKRZWKHSURFHVVZRUNV$ spokeswoman at LifeCenter Northwest, WKHQRQSUR¿WWKDWPDWFKHVGRQRUVZLWK UHFLSLHQWVHQFRXUDJHGPHWRLQWHUYLHZ RQHRIWKHDGYRFDWHVZKRZRUNZLWKGRQRU IDPLOLHV %HIRUH,FRXOGVHWXSWKHLQWHUYLHZ 0DGG\KDGKHUDFFLGHQW7KURXJKDVXUUHDO coincidence, I suddenly found that I had EHFRPHDFKDUDFWHULQP\RZQQHZVVWRU\ When Maddy was declared brain-dead in a 6HDWWOHWUDXPDZDUGRQ)HEWKHPDQ, Natalie St. John/nstjohn@chinookobserver.com ZDVVXSSRVHGWRLQWHUYLHZJULHIFRXQVHORU Madison’s friends from Walla Walla University gathered to pray and sing around her hospital bed on Feb. 11, 2015. From left, Jonathan Merker, was assigned to help our Eli Wart, Mindy Robinson, Matthew Cosaert (standing) and Urijah Saenz. IDPLO\QDYLJDWHWKHGRQDWLRQSURFHVV lullaby I remembered singing to her when brain-death in a hospital setting to be Beautiful and raw feelings VKHZDVDOLWWOHJLUO eligible, and quality standards for transplant ‘Everything was perfect’ Merker spends a lot of time educating There’s a little bird somebody sends RUJDQVDUHYHU\VWULFW2OLYHUVDLG On the day of her accident, Maddy was JULHYLQJIDPLOLHVDERXWRUJDQDQGWLVVXH down to the earth to live on the wind %DVHGLQ6HDWWOH/LIH&HQWHULVRQHRI DVRSKRPRUHDW:DOOD:DOOD8QLYHUVLW\ GRQDWLRQ,QDWLQ\ÀXRUHVFHQWOLWURRPKH Born on the wind federally designated “organ procurement She was a spirited goofball, a heartbreaker, patiently and honestly addressed each of our and she sleeps on the wind RUJDQL]DWLRQV´/&1:¿QGVPDWFKHVIRU DQDYLGRXWGRRUVHQWKXVLDVWDQGDGHYRXW FRQFHUQV+DGWKHKRVSLWDOGRQHHYHU\WKLQJ This little bird that somebody sends organs and tissue, coordinates transplant 6HYHQWK'D\$GYHQWLVW6KHKDGKHUIDWKHU¶V surgeries, supports donor and recipient SRVVLEOHWRVDYHKHU":RXOGWKHUHFRYHU\ TXLFNZLWDQGHQHUJ\DQGKHUPRWKHU¶V VXUJHU\KXUWKHU":RXOGZHJHWWR¿QGRXW IDPLOLHVGXULQJWKHSURFHVVDQGSURYLGHV NLQGQHVVDQGSRLVH LIWKHWUDQVSODQWVZHUHVXFFHVVIXO"&RXOGZH ‘A complicated hope’ follow-up counseling and other after-care ³,EHOLHYHLQ+HDYHQVR,NQRZWKDWLQP\ VHUYLFHV PHHWWKHUHFLSLHQWV" In the operating room, LCNW staff read a EHOLHI,ZLOOVHHKHUDJDLQ´0DGG\¶VPRWKHU As we talked, I noticed that Merker had VWDWHPHQW 'RQRUVFDQRQO\VWD\RQOLIHVXSSRUW /LVD*LHEHOVDLGRQ)HE³%XWWKLV WHDUVLQKLVH\HV/DWHU,ZRQGHUHGKRZ “Sometimes the [surgeons] will stop to for a few days, and most organs can only PRUQLQJ,FRXOGQ¶WKHOSUHPHPEHULQJWKDW anyone could do his job, and not be harmed ERZ6RPHWLPHVWKH\KDYHDWHDULQWKHLU VXUYLYHRXWVLGHRIWKHERG\IRUDIHZKRXUV ODVW\HDUDWWKLVWLPHHYHU\WKLQJZDVSHUIHFW So the moment a hospital E\LW H\H7KH\ZLOOKRQRUWKHVDFUHGQHVVRIZKDW DVIDUDVP\NLGVDQGOLIH´7KDWDIWHUQRRQ In a recent phone LWPHDQVWRJLYHWKHJLIWRIOLIHWRDQRWKHU LGHQWL¿HVDQHOLJLEOH WKHVXQFDPHRXWIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHLQDZKLOH donor, LCNW staff LQWHUYLHZ0HUNHUZKR SHUVRQ´0HUNHUVDLG DQG0DGLVRQGHFLGHGWRJRIRUDELNHULGH now works at a New Jersey :KHQWKHVXUJHU\LVRYHU/&1:VWDII begin racing to make a After the accident, medics put her on life 232FDOOHGWKH1-6KDULQJ FDOOWKHGRQRU¶VIDPLO\WROHWWKHPNQRZKRZ PDGGHQLQJO\FRPSOH[ support, and she was air-lifted to the trauma Network, said he realized LWZHQW7KH\DOVRIROORZXSSHULRGLFDOO\WR process happen within FULWLFDOFDUHZDUGDW6HDWWOH¶V+DUERUYLHZ during grad school that he VKDUHQHZVRIKRZWKHLUORYHGRQH¶VRUJDQV DYHU\VKRUWZLQGRZRI +RVSLWDO had a knack for counseling ZHUHXVHG RSSRUWXQLW\2QHWHDP 6KHQHYHUPDGHLWKRPH SHRSOHFRQIURQWLQJGHDWK 7KHUHDUHQRJXDUDQWHHV6RPHWLPHV ¿QGVSRWHQWLDOUHFLSLHQWV 9ROXQWHHUZRUNLQWHQVLYH GRFWRUV¿QGWKDWDGRQRU¶VRUJDQVZHUHQ¶W and gets them ready for therapy, and special DVKHDOWK\DVWKH\WKRXJKW6RPHWLPHVD ‘Somebody else’s miracle’ WUDQVSODQWVXUJHU\$ training helped him feel at WUDQVSODQWGRHVQ¶WWDNH team of grief counselors By the following morning, a huge crowd HDVHVHUYLQJDVDVRXUFHRI Some recipients immediately want to KHOSVWKHGRQRU¶VIDPLO\ RI0DGG\¶VVXSSRUWHUVIURP:DOOD:DOOD¶V strength and compassion VWDUWFRUUHVSRQGLQJZLWKWKHGRQRU¶VIDPLO\ and friends through WLJKWNQLW$GYHQWLVWFRPPXQLW\KDGWDNHQ GXULQJWKHZRUVWRIWLPHV 2FFDVLRQDOO\ERWKSDUWLHVHYHQZDQWWR WKHGRQDWLRQSURFHVV RYHUWKHOREE\RIWKHWUDXPDZDUG,KDG ³,¶YHQHYHURQFHKDG meet, and after careful preparation, LCNW Meanwhile, a team of VSHQWWKHORQJGULYHWR6HDWWOHPHQWDOO\ the same day at my job, ZLOOIDFLOLWDWHDUHXQLRQ%XWRWKHUUHFLSLHQWV PHGLFDOH[SHUWVHYDOXDWHV preparing to see my cousin on her deathbed, DQG,KDYHDYDVWDPRXQW struggle with intense guilt and pressure and DQGSUHVHUYHVWKHGRQRU¶V EXW,KDGQ¶WJLYHQDQ\WKRXJKWWRKRZLW RILQWLPDWHH[SHULHQFH QHYHUIHHOUHDG\WRZULWH RUJDQV¿QGVDVXUJHRQ ZRXOGIHHOWRVHHWKHOLYLQJ,WRRNRQHORRN with families,” Merker %RWKIDPLOLHVH[SHULHQFHZKDW0HUNHU and a hospital who can do DWDOORIWKRVHH[KDXVWHGDQGKHDUWEURNHQ Contributed photo VDLG³,GRQ¶WNQRZZKHUH FDOOV³DFRPSOLFDWHGKRSH´ the transplant in time, and students, and her little sister Josie, who was Madison was beautiful in life HOVH,ZRXOG¿QGWKDWNLQG 2QH\HDUODWHUZHNQRZWKDW6WDQOH\¶V transports the organs to DVSRLVHGDQGJUDFLRXVDVHYHURQWKHZRUVW and in death, thanks to her of meaningful intimate OLYHUZHQWWRD\HDUROGPDQ+LVNLGQH\V WKHUHFHLYLQJIDFLOLWLHV donation of organs to save the connection with people, GD\RIKHUOLIHDQGEXUVWLQWRWHDUV ZHQWWRWZRUHFLSLHQWVZKRQRORQJHUKDYHWR 7KHUHDUHKXQGUHGV lives of others. 0DGG\¶VORYHGRQHVFURZGHGDURXQG DQG,ORYHLW´ XQGHUJRGLDO\VLV+LVKHDUWDQGOXQJVZHQWWR RIYDULDEOHVDQGWKH KHUEHGDWQHDUO\DOOKRXUV7KH\KHOGKHU Merker said he was research, and his corneas may someday help process is grueling for WDONHGWRKHUSUD\HGRYHUKHU2QHDIWHUQRRQ able to feel the powerful sense of loss VRPHRQHHOVHVHH HYHU\RQHLQYROYHG2OLYHUVDLG$QG\HW her friend played the old country hymn surrounding Maddy without losing himself, 0DGLVRQZDVDSK\VLFDOO\¿WYHJDQZKR LCNW staff coordinated donations from 200 “Wayfaring Stranger” and a group of at EHFDXVHKHNQRZVKLPVHOIH[WUHPHO\ZHOO QHYHUGUDQNRUGLGGUXJVDQGKDGQRSLHUFLQJV RUJDQGRQRUVLQ7KH\HVWLPDWHWKDW OHDVWSHRSOHVDQJWRKHU7KDW7KXUVGD\ WDNHVYHU\JRRGFDUHRIKLVKHDOWKDQGSOD\V or tattoos, and that made it possible for her to WKRVHGRQDWLRQVVDYHGOLYHV7KH\DOVR HYHQLQJWKH::8FKRLUDUULYHGDQG¿OOHG ZKHQHYHUKHFDQ GRQDWHPRVWRIKHURUJDQV+HUULJKWNLGQH\ FRRUGLQDWHGPRUHWKDQWLVVXHGRQDWLRQV WKHZDUGZLWKEHDXWLIXOVROHPQPXVLF ³7KHUH¶VDORWRIUHDOO\EHDXWLIXODQGYHU\ went to a grandpa who is able to take long DQGWKRVHKDYHWKHSRWHQWLDOWRLPSURYH “My belief is that she knew on a cellular UDZIHHOLQJVWKHUH,FDQH[SHULHQFHDOOWKDW ZDONVZLWKKLVGRJIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHLQDJHV WKRXVDQGVRIOLYHV OHYHOWKDW,ZDVWKHUH6KHKHDUGP\YRLFH while simultaneously holding that this is not +HUOLYHUZHQWWRDIDWKHULQKLV¿IWLHVZKRLV DQGLWKDGWRFDOPKHUGRZQ,WKDGWRJLYH my loss, this is not my community,” Merker JUDWHIXOWREHDEOHWROHDGDPRUHQRUPDOOLIH KHUSHDFH´*LHEHOVDLG The gift of time VDLG +HUSDQFUHDVZHQWWRDPDUULHGVRPHWKLQJ *UDGXDOO\HYHU\RQHEHJDQWRDFFHSWWKDW IDWKHURIWKUHH+HUOXQJVDQGOHIWNLGQH\ZHQW 2Q)HEWKHSUHSDUDWLRQVIRURUJDQ 0DGG\ZDVQRWJRLQJWRUHFRYHU:KHQD to research, and her bone and soft tissue could UHFRYHU\EHJDQ The last goodbye nurse brought up organ donation, Giebel was HYHQWXDOO\KHOSPDQ\VLFNDQGLQMXUHGSHRSOH ,QSULYDWHGRFWRUVSXW0DGG\WKURXJKD LPPHGLDWHO\VXSSRUWLYHEHFDXVHVKHNQHZLW EDWWHU\RIWHVWVWRFRQ¿UPWKDWWKHUHZDVQR %\WKHPRUQLQJRI)ULGD\)HE And as far as we know, her heart is still beating ZDVZKDW0DGG\ZDQWHG DFWLYLW\RIDQ\NLQGLQKHUEUDLQDQG/&1: UHFLSLHQWVKDGEHHQOLQHGXS,QDIHZKRXUV in the chest of a teenaged girl, who is thrilled ³0\KHDUWZDQWHGDPLUDFOH´*LHEHOVDLG coordinators briefed her parents on how the Maddy would be wheeled into an operating WKDWVKHZDVDEOHWRUHWXUQWRVFKRRO ³%XWLIQRWWKHQLWVKRXOGEHVRPHERG\ URRP VHDUFKIRUPDWFKHVZDVJRLQJ ,VWLOOVWUXJJOHWRUHFNRQZLWKODVW\HDU¶V HOVH¶VPLUDFOH´ 7KDWZDLWZDVDJRQL]LQJEXWLWZDVDOVR *ULHIFRXQVHORU-RQDWKDQ0HUNHUDUULYHG WUDJHGLHVEXWLW¶VLQFUHGLEOHWRWKLQNWKDW SUHFLRXV*LHEHOVDLG at the hospital, and stayed there for most DQRWKHU\RXQJZRPDQ¶VPRWKHUFDQSXW As the morning wore on, we each went in KHUHDUWRKHUGDXJKWHU¶VFKHVWDQGKHDU Long odds and high hopes RIWKUHHGD\V2QHDIWHUQRRQZHZDWFKHG WRVD\D¿QDOJRRGE\H6RPHSHRSOHSUD\HG 0DGLVRQ¶VYLWDOLW\FUHDWLQJQHZKRSH as Merker presented a memorial quilt to It is now possible to transplant most others recalled memories, some people said 0DGG\¶VLPPHGLDWHIDPLO\DQGKHOSHGWKHP ³6KHKDVWRXFKHGSHRSOH¶VKHDUWVEHFDXVH major organs, as well as bone, corneas and the long-held secret things they wanted her SODFHKHUKDQGSULQWVRQWKHTXLOW+HUIULHQGV VKHZDVDORYHURISHRSOH6KHORYHGSHRSOH skin, and transplant success rates are steadily WRNQRZ decided they wanted prints too, and soon, VKHORYHG*RG6KHOLYHGDQDPD]LQJOLIH´ LPSURYLQJ:DVKLQJWRQKDVRQHRIWKH When my turn came, I rested my head HYHU\ÀDWVXUIDFHLQWKHURRPZDVFRYHUHGLQ /LVD*LHEHOVDLG³7KDWZDVFRQWDJLRXVDQG FRXQWU\¶VKLJKHVWGRQRUUHJLVWU\SDUWLFLSDWLRQ QH[WWRKHUVDQGKHOGKHUKDQG,WZDVVWLOO SDSHUVEHDULQJ0DGG\¶VKDQGSULQWV LWZDVVRPHWKLQJWKDWZHDOOKDYHWKHDELOLW\ rates, but the need for organs is still huge, warm, and she was still beautiful to me, but I WRGRMXVWE\EHLQJPRUHORYLQJ´ For Lisa Giebel, the opportunity to /LIH&HQWHUVSRNHVZRPDQ&DWH2OLYHUVDLG XQGHUVWRRGWKDWLWZDVWLPH share her sense of loss with the others was Ŷ Only a tiny percentage of people in the I shared messages from my sister and ³SULFHOHVV´ Natalie St. John is a reporter and registry ultimately become donors, because ³&KRRVLQJ>GRQDWLRQ@JDYHXVWLPHWRVD\ FRXVLQVZKRFRXOGQ¶WEHWKHUH,XVHGP\ODVW photographer for the Chinook Observer, an DSHUVRQJHQHUDOO\KDVWRH[SHULHQFHWRWDO moment with Maddy to sing an a cappella JRRGE\H´*LHEHOVDLG EO Media Group publication. Quick takes Stanield police back on job Unethical, in my opinion, is just as unac- ceptable as illegal when it comes to being a ODZHQIRUFHPHQWRI¿FHU Residents sue over leaky line IRUHPRWLRQDOGLVWUHVV":KDWDMRNH — Sam Smith We had a main sewage line from two other residences that ran through our property EUHDN5DZVHZDJHZDVOHDNLQJRXWDQGWKH Umatilla River homeless — Daena Gaines FLW\FDPHDQGVDQGEDJJHGLWVRLWZRXOGQ¶W 6DGMXVWGULYLQJWKURXJKWKHUH:KHQZH JRWRWKHVWUHHW7KH\WROGXVLWZDVQ¶WWKHLU FDQZHZLOOJRDQGKHOSWKHPRXW:HGRQ¶W So much for holding law enforcement UHVSRQVLELOLW\WR¿[LW PLQGKHOSLQJRXWWKHKRPHOHVV+RSHWKLQJV WRDKLJKHUVWDQGDUG7KHQ\RXZRQGHUZK\ — Kel Leigh JHWEHWWHUIRUWKHP SHRSOHDUHEHFRPLQJVRDQWLSROLFH — Ray N Jaime Ybarra — Skip Cripe 0D\EH,VKRXOGJHWDODZ\HU,I3HQGOHWRQ FLW\ZRUNHUVKDYHGRQHVXFKWKLQJVWRRWKHU $OO \RX FDQ UHDOO\ GR LV SUD\ IRU WKHP ,VWKLVWKH¿UVWWLPHLWKDVKDSSHQHGRU UHVLGHQWV" You can lead a horse to water but you cannot MXVWWKH¿UVWWLPHWKH\¶YHEHHQFDXJKW"+RZ — Tom Maliwauki PDNHLWGULQN GRHVDFRPPXQLW\WUXVWWKHVHSHRSOHDJDLQ" — Nicole McEachern — Libby Descalso Mullin 7KLVODZVXLWLVJRLQJQRZKHUH 7KHUHLVKHOSRXWWKHUHLI\RXZDQWLW3DUW RIWKHSUREOHPLV\RXFDQ¶WGULQNRUGRGUXJV 7KH\FKRRVHQRWWRJRWRWKHVKHOWHUEHFDXVH WKH\KDYHUXOHV — Janel Chapman A shopping cart hero A tip of the hat to the quick-acting man who parked his car and jumped out in time to rescue a runaway Safeway shopping cart WKDWZDVKHDGHGWR+LJKZD\WUDI¿F$ kick in the pants to the person who was too OD]\WRSXWWKHFDUWLQRQHRIWKHFDUWFRUUDOV — Joyce Dye One of the great lessons of the Twitter age is that much can be summed up in just a few words. Tweet yours @Tim_Trainor or email editor@eastoregonian.com, and keep them to 140 characters.
