Around Christmas, ReviveHope was contacted by a journalist, Joshua Saul from Alaska Dispatch, an organization "committed to telling the story of Alaska and to promoting citizen journalism in the hope of helping to bridge Alaska's urban-rural divide. In addition to reporting on statewide news, events and culture, Alaska Dispatch strives to provide thoughtful analysis of Alaska issues, as well as diverse opinion and insight from a broad range of contributors."
Joshua wrote an extremely touching story on a precious little girl, Hannah. The following are his words:
Both the first and last days of Hannah Kingsley's short time on earth were marked by life-saving gifts.
Hannah was born prematurely on the same day her father, Gary Kingsley, was scheduled to donate stem cells to a man dying of cancer. Early in Brenda Kingsley's pregnancy, she and Gary had been told that Hannah would be born with a congenital heart defect. They spent the months before Hannah's December due date in Portland, where Brenda could get the medical care she needed.
Years earlier, Gary had registered with the National Marrow Donor Program's Be the Match registry as an organ and stem cell donor, and in September 2004 the organization told Gary he was the best match for a 54-year-old man with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The donation was scheduled over two days in Seattle in November, and Gary agreed because Hannah wasn't due until December.
When Brenda went into labor the night before Gary was scheduled to fly to Seattle, he called and asked if the donation could be postponed until later in the month. There was a fear that Hannah would need heart surgery as soon as she was born, and he didn't want to leave the state. The donation couldn't be pushed back, but the National Marrow Donor Program did find a hospital in Portland where the donation could take place, just across the river from where Hannah was born.
The day after Hannah was born Gary spent eight hours donating stem cells that were sped to Seattle and ended up saving the recipient's life. Gary is one of only 60 Alaskans who have donated stem cells to an unrelated recipient since the program began in 1987, according to a spokesperson for the National Marrow Donor Program.
In her four years of life, Hannah had five major heart surgeries. When she was six months old an operation left a deep wound in her chest, and a nurse changed the dressing every other day. The process took 60 minutes, and was extremely painful for Hannah.
"She would be bathed in sweat and I would be bathed in sweat by the time we got done with the hour," said Gary, an air traffic controller at Merrill Field in Anchorage.
Hannah was a beautiful child, feisty but very polite. She screamed and fought when her parents took her to the hospital, sometimes 25 times a month, but always stopped to thank the nurses when she left.
"Bravest person I've ever known," Gary said.
Gary sang a lullaby to Hannah while the nurse worked, a simple song he made up for his youngest daughter: "I love my little Hannah girl ... she is the sweetest in the world."
Hannah got cold easily, and during last year's Christmas season she could only play outside with her four sisters and brothers for 15 minutes at a time before Gary and Brenda would bring her back inside to warm up for an hour. Her immune system was weak, and she was kept home from Sunday school whenever there was a bug going around.
On the afternoon of Aug. 26, Brenda and Hannah were sitting on the couch in the family's living room when Hannah had a stroke. Gary called 911 while Brenda performed CPR. At the hospital, Gary and Brenda were told there was no brain activity; Hannah would not recover. They were asked if they would consider organ donation.
Two days later their daughter died. Her kidneys went to a 46-year-old single father of five in Washington state who has five children. He's doing well now, Gary said. Hannah's liver was sent to a child in Canada, but there were complications in that transplant and the child died.
Alaska only sees about 25 organ donations every year, although that's a high rate of donation compared to the rest of the nation, according to Marcy Dimond, clinical services manager at Life Alaska Donor Services, the organization that handled Hannah's donation. Dimond also comes from a donor family; her mother donated her corneas when she died of cancer 20 years ago.
Dimond said Alaska organ donors tend to be younger than the national average due to a higher number of brain injuries caused by outdoor activities.
After Hannah died, Gary and Brenda had simple silver rings made for themselves. They both have the same inscription inside their rings, a short line from a song Hannah used to hear when she went through her most painful moments.
"I love my little Hannah girl," the rings read.
Contact Joshua Saul at jsaul_alaskadispatch.com.
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In a blog, which I assume was written by an aunt or uncle of Hannah, I found the following note--and I hope they don't mind I borrowed their words, and a beautiful picture:
The name Hannah means gift from God and that was what Hannah truly was. I know that Hannah's story has touched a lot of lives and I believe that through her struggles, others will be saved by making Jesus their Lord and Savior. Before she passed, Hannah was able to donate 5 of her organs to others in need, and thus her life lives on. They have raised the flag at the hospital in Anchorage for 5 days in honor of Hannah's donations.
Gary said that when they were leaving the hospital for the last time that there was a beautiful rainbow and the Chugach Mountains were painted with sunlight. He said that it was a sign that God was reminding us that He loves us.
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The paragraph above made me think about rainbows. Rainbows mean hope and happiness in so many cultures. According to Wikipedia:
- The rainbow as the heavenly archer's bow also dominates ancient Hindu mythology. Indra, the Hindu god of thunder and war, uses the rainbow to shoot arrows of lightning - killing the Asura Vrta, a primordial demon-serpent.
- The creation of the Navajo people involved "a pair of rainbows crossed like rafters at the zenith of a proto-world so small that the 'heads and feet of the rainbows almost touched the men's heads'".
- In Ireland, a common legend asserts that a "pot of gold" is to be found at the end of a rainbow, for the person lucky enough to find it.
- In a Chinese folktale, Hsienpo and Yingt'az are star-crossed lovers who must wait until the rainbow appears to be alone together.
- Judeo-Christian traditions signs it as a covenant with God not to destroy the world by means of floodwater, giving a sign of hope.
Organ donation is a rainbow. It gives HOPE to those who need it most, both recipients and donor families. It gives TREASURES to those who get just one more day with their loved ones. It is a true act of LOVE.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
What a beautiful rainbow Hannah and her parents were for a father of five (and 4 others), and hope for thousands of people who are waiting!!! They gave a dad the chance for many tomorrows with his children, they gave those who are waiting hope that there is a rainbow after the storm, and they reminded everyone of the decency, goodness, and beauty all around us!!
