If you follow this blog you know about the charming girl from Chapel Hill who saved my life. You know that it was a bright and sunny June day when I got the call. That was 3 days and 3 years ago. While I was counting ceiling tiles trying to pass time in the hospital, Chloe’s parents were getting ready to face the goodbye’s. It was 5:30am when I got the news. Chloe’s dad Jon was sleeping on the floor of the hospital that morning, waiting for the sun to come up and shine on his daughters face, one last time. He was preparing to show all of her friends to her hospital room, since they needed to say goodbye too. I learned about this side of the story, their side of the story, when I visited Jon and Linda a few weeks ago.
It was a strange day according to Chloe’s mom. On one hand, they saw profound love for Chloe by the outpouring of children who showed up to the hospital. On the other hand, she was in shock over the fact that tomorrow; she’d be home in an empty house with no daughter to tend too. Slowly, each of Chloe’s friends would get back to life and soon enough, they’d all grow up and move away. But, with the organ harvesting just hours away – her parents knew that not all of Chloe would die that day.
After hours of goodbyes and tears, the time came to leave UNC Children’s Hospital. They returned home and wondered – what next -- until a friend, who is a pilot, offered to take them to the Raleigh-Durham airport to see the heart and lungs take flight. They jumped at the opportunity because they didn’t really know what else to do at that point. With little time to spare before the organ transport was to take place, they jumped in the car and began their journey for yet another goodbye. Ironically, the expressway was packed and traffic slowed them down until Jon drove on the shoulder with the hope of “getting caught” trying to cut in the traffic line. The cops asked him why he was in a hurry and before you knew it, they had a full police escort all the way to the airport. They made it in time, with a grand entrance that Chloe would have approved of.
The Northwestern staff moved quickly, taking the heart from the ambulance by cooler to the plane. Linda says it all happened in a matter of ten minutes. But in that time, she found out that a 26 year old was getting the heart. They knew somebody in Chicago, was “having a party” as Jon said. In that moment, not a single thought more about the recipient crossed their mind.
Instead, they walked up to an observation deck just above the tarmac. Once the organs were loaded and ready to go, they watched the plane leave, waiving and crying and looking into the sky until they couldn’t see it anymore. My heart made the path from Raleigh to Chicago that day and then back again when I returned to that very observation deck to see where, literally, where my new life began.
It’s been a hard 3 years for the Coleman’s and returning to that place physically and emotionally was not an easy task. It reminded them of the worst day they’ve faced, but having me there with them to complete the circle made them feel that they could go on. I’ll never replace Chloe but my vigor and energy is proof enough to them that Chloe lives forever. Rather than dwelling on all of the sadness, they smile over the fact that I’ve welcomed them into their lives and have made Chloe’s death -- about life. I keep her in the front of my mind anytime I’m talking about the heart within and have turned her death into something positive. Together, with the Coleman’s we’ve made a splash on the media, in her hometown (which I will tell you more about later) and forever, Chloe will be remembered.
This weekend I will celebrate her. I will laugh with my friends like she use to do. I will call her family and give them my love. I will dance in the rain and be happy that I can feel the drops on my skin. I will never, ever forget this charming girl from Chapel Hill.
