Eight years ago, my 13-year-old son, Dustin, became very ill with a heart enlarged. For several months, he lived on life support as we were forced to stand by and watch him wither away. ks5u 

While his friends were out playing baseball, and sleeping in their own beds, my son was in a hospital bed, attached to a machine that kept his heart beating. As a mother, my first reaction after crying was anger, and then I played the bargaining game: "Take my life for his, Lord. I've lived my life but he still has so much to do." People all around me were praying for a heart to become available, but it made me so angry and confused because I knew for that to happen, someone else's child would have to die. How could anyone pray for that? 

I still remember so clearly the morning we got the call that there was a heart. As we stood in Dustin's hospital room watching them prepare him for surgery, we experienced the true definition of bittersweet. His dad and I realized that at the precise moment we were standing there with so much hope and so much love, another family somewhere was saying goodbye. We knelt down together and cried, and we prayed for them and we thanked them for giving such a selfless gift. To our amazement, just 10 days later, Dustin got to come home for the first time in many months. He had received a second chance at life. Over the next two years, he got to go to high school, learn to drive and put his brand new heart to good use volunteering at the homeless shelter and helping the elderly. 

Dustin's new heart failed him when he was 16. A tragedy, yes, but we have to see it as the miracle it was. We received two precious years with him that we would never have had without organ donation. We have more pictures, more memories and a great satisfaction in knowing that he was able to experience some of the most exciting times and milestones in a teenager's life. When he died, difficult as it was for us, we knew that it would be Dustin's wish to give back. His eyes went to someone who wanted to see. Someone who, perhaps, had never seen the faces of the family he loved so dearly. I believe that one day I will look into the face of someone else's son or daughter, and I will see those sky blue eyes looking back at me -- the evidence of selfless giving.
who was on life support?
how old is Dustin?
who was forced?
forced to do what?
what was brand new?
who would have to die?
who was praying?
praying for what?
did a heart become available?
for who was the heart available to?
when did he get the heart?
did Dustin have heart surgery?
Was the surgery a success?
how did the surgery succeed?
when did Dustin come home?
what occurred 10 days later?
what did he do when he came home?
did he do anything else?
what else did he do?
Dustin
 Dustin, became very ill with a heart enlarged. For several months, he lived on life support
13 years old
my 13-year-old son, Dustin
Dustin's family
he lived on life support as we were forced to stand by and watch him wither away
stand by and watch him wither away
we were forced to stand by and watch him wither away
his heart
put his brand new heart
someone else's child
someone else's child would have to die
People all around
People all around me were praying
for a heart to become available
were praying for a heart to become available
yes
we got the call that there was a heart
Dustin
we got the call that there was a heart. As we stood in Dustin's
in the morning
so clearly the morning
yes
Dustin's hospital room watching them prepare him for surgery
yes
10 days later, Dustin got to come home
by allowing Dustin to come home
Dustin got to come home for the first time in many months
10 days later
 just 10 days later, Dustin got to come home
Dustin got to come home
 just 10 days later, Dustin got to come home
he went to high school
he got to go to high school
yes
 learn to drive
he learned to drive
 learn to drive