On February 22nd, 2004, Kari and I shared the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times. In a story written by Jim Ritter titled “Climbing High with Kari’s Gift”… The story made the cover of the paper that Sunday – and there was a beautiful article inside that took up two full pages with pictures and excerpts from the first anonymous letters I exchanged with Kari’s family. Mr. Ritter even interviewed Kari’s family for the story…
John Allen was waiting for lungs. Waiting for lungs is often a tedious, depressing and scary pastime… And the fact that you aren’t breathing too well doesn’t help matters…
For some reason that none of us will ever know, on Sunday, February 22nd, 2004, the Chicago Sun-Times was delivered to John’s doorstep… He didn’t get the newspaper delivered – and he doesn’t know how or why it was delivered – but he looked down and saw the front page story about a guy who received lungs like he was waiting for… A guy who received lungs from a beautiful girl – and now he leaps tall buildings with her lungs…
John pored through the story and he made a little decision. He decided that one day he was going to climb the Hancock with that guy…
A month or so later – at a lung transplant support group meeting at Loyola University Medical Center – I was sitting at the table with everyone else and John walked in toting his oxygen. He lit up like a Christmas tree and said, “I know you!!! I saw you in the paper!!!” I always kinda love the celebrity feeling – Laura always says I’m a legend in my own mind – John told me about getting the Sun-Times mysteriously delivered and that he was going to climb with me someday…
Here is a picture of John at a Loyola candle-lighting ceremony, lighting a candle to honor the his anonymous donor. John was transplanted in early autumn of 2004.
Months later, on Sunday, February 27, 2005 – John climbed with me. On Sunday, February 24, 2008 – he will climb with me for the fourth time… I just think it’s cool that someone struggling like John was struggling, could set his sights on trudging up 1,600 steps – and then do it with me less than a year later… This will be John’s fourth climb with me. I’m proud of him and honored that he climbs with me…
Someone very special to me already pledged John to honor him, and in remembrance of another recipient special to both of us – You can link to John’s Hustle page here…
You can read about why we climb at www.ClimbingForKari.org
