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角膜
). I was stunned. The doctors want to dissect(
肢解
) Mom and give her away to other people! I thought as I ran into the house in tears.
At 14, 1 just could not understand why anyone would take apart a person I loved. To top it off, my father told him,
“
Yes.
”
“
How can you let them do that to her!
”
I screamed at him.
“
My mom came into this world in one piece and that is how she should go out.
”
“
Linda,
”
he said quietly,
“
the greatest gift you can give is a part of yourself. Your mother and I decided long ago that if we can make a difference in just one person's life after we die, our death will have meaning.
”
He went on to explain they had both decided to be organ donors.
What my father said that day became one of the most important lessons in my life. Years passed. I married and had a family of my own. In 1980, my father became seriously ill and moved in with us. For the next six years, we spent many hours talking about life and death.
He cheerfully told me that when he died, he wanted to donate whatever was in good condition in him, especially his eyes.
“
Sight is one of the greatest gifts a person can give,
”
he said, noting how wonderful it would be if a child could be helped to see again and draw horses the way my daughter Wendy did.
She had been drawing horses all her life, winning award after award.
“
Just imagine how proud another parent would feel if her daughter could draw like Wendy,
”
Dad said.
“
Think how proud you would feel knowing that my eyes were making it possible.
”
I told Wendy what her Grandpa had said, and with tears in her eyes, she gave him a big hug. She was only 14 years old
—
the same age at which I was introduced to the donor program. What a difference!
On April 11, 1986, my father died, and we donated his eyes as he had wished. There days later, Wendy said,
“
Mom, I'm so proud of you and Grandpa.
”
“
That makes you proud?
”
I asked.
“
You bet! Have you ever thought what it would be like to be unable to see? When I die, I want my eyes donated just like Grandpa.
”
Instantly I realized that my father gave much more than his eyes. What he left behind sparkled in my daughter's eyes
—
pride.
What I could never know there and then that only two weeks later I would once again be signing papers for the donor program.
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