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4A | THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR | Opinion 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respect- ing an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Govern- ment for a redress of grievances. “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800) USPS#133880 Copyright 2019 © COTTAGE GROVE SENTINAL Letters to the Editor Policy The Sentinel welcomes letters to the editor as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside The Sentinel readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. Political/Election Letters: Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must: 1) Not be a part of letter-writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any information about a candidate is accurate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support candidates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Send letters to: A heartfelt letter to the family of Ashley Mathews (Editor’s Note: Jane Mathews, grandmother of Ashley Mathews, brought the following letter into The Sentinel. Ashley died in a car wreck on the Wyoming border while returning from South Carolina to be with her brother, who had just been in a terrible car accident here in Cottage Grove that left him a quad- riplegic. Ashley’s heart was do- nated to a young woman named Courtney. The following was writ- ten to Ashley’s family by the mother of Courtney.) T o the loved ones of our donor: Hello, my name is Michelle and I would like to express my respect and grati- tude to your family for the miracle of life that was given to my daugh- ter, Courtney, because of your inconceivable generosity. Courtney was the recipient of your loved one’s heart. Without this precious gift, she would not be here and alive today. Courtney, myself and our family would like to convey our deepest and heartfelt sympathy for your loss. We can only imagine how extremely painful this must be for your family. Yet even in the midst of your grief, you were able to make such an unselfish and thoughtful decision to give the ultimate gift and save a life — my daughter’s life. We are eternally grateful. Courtney began showing signs of heart failure in the winter of 2016. As she returned to school in January 2017, she progressively got worse. By mid-February, Courtney was taken to the hospital for com- plete heart testing. It was at this time that we nhickson@cgsentinel.com HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Oregon state representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski • Rep. Peter DeFazio District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • Rep. Cedric Hayden Ashley Mathews (above) was killed May 15, 2017, in a car accident. Her heart was donated to Courtney (above right) by her family in Cottage Grove. were told the devastat- ing news that she would need a heart transplant in order to survive. By the end of March, she was taken out of they saved my life.” When her doctor came into her room that night and woke us up to say they believed they had found the right After the operation, Courtney fought fierce- ly through the long and painful recovery pro- cess. She came back so strong and passion- ate and said at one “I want to live for my donor and my- point, “I want to live for my donor and self. We are forever intertwined now. myself. We are forev- We have merged together in a way er intertwined now. We have merged to- that will live on in me.” gether in a way that will live on in me. — Courtney, heart recipient of Ashley Mathews “I feel my donor’s presence and will always treasure the school and admitted to match — the perfect gift of life that was giv- the hospital in CICV heart for her — it was so en to me.” and put on life support bittersweet. We felt an I wanted to write measures. overwhelming sense of so much sooner, but I Throughout seven sadness and immense iust could not find the weeks of waiting, she sorrow for your loss. right words and still was well aware that she Our thoughts and don’t know if I have in was in critical condi- prayers were with you, order to appropriate- tion. your loved one and your ly convey the depth of The reality of know- family in this agonizing gratitude for saving my ing she was not able time. At the same mo- daughter’s life — for my to go home without a ment, we also felt over- family and I to watch life-saving heart trans- whelming love, hope her grow into a young plant and the knowl- and tremenedous joy woman — to fulfill her edge of the chain of for the precious gift that dreams with the glow events that would need was being given, and so of the life of her donor to occur weighed heavy incredibly humbled by shining through her. We know the loss of on both our minds. the ability of a stranger Her only hope was a to make such an amaz- your loved one is still donor. ingly heroic decision to extremely painful. We are so very sorry but Courtney tried so save someone’s life. hard throughout this As Courtney went hope and pray that this incredibly difficult and through those operating letter may bring you emotional time to keep room doors that morn- some solace and peace. Courtney continues a positive attitude and ing, she was determined be fearless despite the to survive this life-sav- to live each and every painful treatments and ing operation and come day to the fullest, know- scary surroundings. back with a new heart ing how precious life She would say, “I will beating within her. She truly is. With all of our grati- be strong and brave just said, “I can do this, I’m like I believe my donor going to make it, for my tude and love, would be. If I get a new hero ... my donor.” She —Michelle and heart, I will make them seemed at peace as she Courtney and their family proud was wheeled away. Oregon federal representatives Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, Ore. 97301 Phone: 503-986-1407 Website: www.leg.state.or. us/hayden Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us • Sen. Ron Wyden 405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: wyden.senate.gov Phone: (541) 431-0229 • Sen. Jeff Merkley Email: merkley.senate.gov Phone: 541-465-6750 S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager... Ext. 1207 gmanly@cgsentinel.com Veronica Brinkley, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1205 vbrinkley@cgsentinel.com Carla Skeel, Inside Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1203 csummers@cgsentinel.com Editorial Ned Hickson, Managing Editor... 541-902-3520 nhickson@cgsentinel.com Damien Sherwood, Lead Reporter... Ext. 1212 dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Nick Snyder, Sports/Community News Reporter... Ext. 1204 nsnyder@cgsentinel.com Customer Service Meg Fringer, Office Manager, Legals, Classifieds... Ext. 1200 mfringer@cgsentinel.com Gerald Santana, Circulation Manager... Ext. 1216 gsantana@cgsentinel.com Production Ron Annis, Production Supervisor... 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