Out of the blue, last October, I received a little email from the Library Media Specialist at Denmark High School, Denise, in Denmark, Wisconsin… She described a project where they choose a book – and several teachers read a chapter or two and discuss it with their classes. Then, after the readings, they try to have someone related to the book or subject come out and talk about the book with their students… She told me that this year they’d chosen Reg Green’s, “The Gift that Heals.”
Pretty much at that moment, I knew that I was being offered the chance to go tell several hundred high school students about Kari, and about the gift she and her family have given me. Chapter 19 in Reg’s book is about Kari and her family, and me and Kari’s heart recipient, Sandy…
Then, Denise lays another little surprise on me. After reviewing the book and finding a rather-biased customer review I had posted on Amazon.com and discovering that I lived in Chicago – then reading a little more about me and Kari… She knew that one of their teachers in Denmark used to live in Kari’s hometown of Algona, Iowa – and she found out that Kari was one of his students… And – that he’s married to Kari’s volleyball coach.
Bill and Della are the teacher and coach – I actually got to meet them a few weeks early. Della teaches and coaches at different high school near Denmark. I connected with them via email and on Facebook shortly after my exchange with Denise. And both of them joined my Kari’s Klimbers team and Hustled up the Hancock with me at the end of February! It was doubly neat for me – I’ve climbed with Kari’s friends and her volleyball teammates for six years now – and this time their teacher and coach came along!
So… This past Tuesday I got to speak at Denmark High School. They all read the chapter about Kari and me at the end of last week – and then they told the students that I would be out to speak to them… We saved the part about Kari being Bill’s student as a surprise – along with Bill & Della’s Hustle journey too… I started by reading Jenn’s poem – then I let them know how I feel about Kari and her family, and her friends – and what it’s like to breathe with her beautiful lungs after struggling with my diseased lungs all of my life… Judging by how many glistening eyes I saw looking back at me – I think my message connected…
Then, we had a fun treat – not only was it a surprise to the students and staff that Bill & Della taught and coached Kari – but we got to show them their adventure coming out to climb with us! Bill videoed their climb and Denise edited it into a fun 10-minute presentation… I’ve uploaded it to YouTube – it lost a little quality, but it’s still pretty awesome!
I also had the honor of sharing the podium with Erin Davisson. She is an anchor and reporter at WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin – and she is also a 20-year liver transplant survivor. She told the students about her journey, and many of the things she does to spread awareness about organ donation – and she told them about the importance of organ donation. We also managed to make the 5pm news in Green Bay!
At the end of our program, we heard from a Dad… Dennis Burkart. He lost his beautiful, 17-year-old daughter, Jordyn, only six weeks earlier. Jordyn died tragically in an auto accident – and Jordyn became a donor. Jordyn was from a nearby high school – and the staff at Denmark High School learned that she was a donor after she passed away… They reached out to Dennis just to ask if they could mention that Jordyn was a donor in our program – but Dennis told them that he wanted to participate, and he wanted tell them about Jordyn. Her Dad told all of us about how special Jordyn was…
As he spoke, Dennis explained to us that he was very angry when he was approached by a nurse to ask him if Jordyn could be an organ donor – that at a painful time like that, how could someone make that request? But his 23-year-old daughter, Julie, soon told him that Jordyn had spoken to her about organ donation – and that Jordyn wanted to be an organ donor. She had never spoken to her parents about it – but apparently Jordyn and Julie had discussed organ donation… Later, the nurse returned with a document showing that Jordyn had registered her desire to be an organ donor…
Dennis explained to us how Jordyn was rarely “on time” for things… He chuckled when he remembered and told us about her being regularly late for a lot of life’s events and tasks – but that sometime shortly after her 16th birthday, she didn’t tell anyone, but Jordyn registered to be an organ donor… This one time, he said, Jordyn was “on time”… People are living better lives because of Jordyn. Dennis made it easy to see that her Dad is proud of her…
I had an amazing time in Denmark – the students were all kind and attentive… And like I always think about Kari and her family, and so many other donors and families I’ve met on this journey – I will always remember the smile of another 17-year-old girl, and meeting her Dad…
Jordyn Lee Burkart
