The story of Jennie Minihan, a 17 year-old teen, is a bittersweet story. Jennie's story starts in Brandon South Dakota and spreads over much of the Northern Midwest.
In an article I found on the Keloland website, Jennie is described as a vibrant unforgettable young lady. She was, "Full of energy. She loved music, she loved to dance. She loved to work on tractors." The way she was described in the article, she was someone I would have loved to be friends with!
Unfortunately, Jennie came down with a horrible headache this past November. A headache that was so serious she was admitted to a hospital where it was discovered that she was suffering from a brain hemorrhage.
Doctors did everything in their power to relieve the great pressure on Jennie's brain, but after nearly 2 weeks it was obvious that Jennie would never be herself again. Her parents said, "She's not in there any longer, I don't feel her presence in their, her body was there, but the heart wasn't connected up to us like it was before."
Ironically, months earlier Jennie had renewed her drivers license and had a discussion about the importance of organ and tissue donation with her family. The Minihans said Jennie never wanted anything to go to waste. They said that there was no question about whether Jennie would be an organ donor or not.
As Jennie's life was tragically cut short, her gift was passed on to over 60 people in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. As the article states, "The Minihans had prayed for a miracle during Jennie's stay in the hospital. They say that miracle came in the form of support from the community. The Minihans also find comfort in knowing that sixty families can celebrate the miraculous gift of life offered by the generous spirit of Jennie. 'Any parent who loses a child would hope to find meaning in that loss, so this definitely gives extra, bittersweet meaning out of our pain that someone else could avoid that same pain of not losing a child.'"
Seeing such an alive young lady pass away so suddenly breaks my heart. She seemed like such a sweetheart, and the way her story was described brought me to tears. I can't imagine what her parents and family were going through, but their decision is what makes this story a heroic one!
I also found this YouTube tribute to her. It is a beautiful eulogy placed on the site by a grieving friend! I would recommend each one of you to pop out onto YouTube to read what Shana wrote about her.
Death is always something that we question and fear. Why would someone so wonderful and young die without much of a warning or explanation? And often, in the moment everything seems so unfair, unclear, and it's just a nightmare.
But as the months or years pass you truly discover what a wonderful GIFT your loved one gave. Jennie is proof at what an unselfish, beautiful gift organ donation is. She may be gone, but her family has her memories and the comfort in knowing she lives on through those 60 lives that she touched!
God Bless you Minihans and all the lives that you have touched!!