Sherrell's Story

“Wow”!  How these last years have flown by!  It does not seem possible that I have been able to enjoy a normal healthy life again after being ill for so long.  Since our company is a Workplace Partner for Life, we believe in promoting organ and tissue donation awareness.  My family traveled my personal transplant journey with me and now through this short story we would like to share part of it with you in hope that it will help you make a positive decision concerning donation.

“Oh my goodness, I do look sick!”  That is the realization that hit me as I looked in the mirror the morning of August 2, 2002. My will was ready and letters written to family members, but I wasn’t ready to die.  For almost eight years I was comforted by the fact that I didn’t have that pale look of a sick person. But now….”God please answer my prayer for a miracle”…. The virus that attacked my heart for 7 ½ years was quickly stealing my life away.  I only had one hope… a miracle…the gift of life…a heart transplant…. My life had been like a fairy tale. I grew up in Waynesboro, a small rural town in Georgia. I had loving Christian parents, 2 siblings, graduated from nursing school, married my high-school sweetheart, retired from work to become a full-time mom to Michelle, Jeremy, and Tracy, moved into our dream home in the country and settled down to become "a super woman and mother.” Involved in volunteer work in the community and at church, chauffeuring my kids around, and substitute teaching at school, a lot of time I "met myself coming and going." I seemed to have an endless supply of energy. Both of our families lived nearby and no one in either family had ever had a serious illness. We were blessed. My life changed forever in late October 1994. On the way to take my children to school, I began having chest pains. I went shopping with my best friend as planned because nothing stops ladies from shopping the sales, but the pain worsened. We decided I needed to be seen by my doctor. After examining me, the doctor told me my EKG wasn’t normal but he didn’t think it was life threatening; that I probably had some inflammation and it wasn’t anything to worry about. Two days later, on my 38th birthday, I was admitted to the hospital in severe congestive heart failure. It still didn't sink in how sick I was; I joked with the nurses that it was my birthday and no one was showing me enough attention, so I decided to come to the hospital. After much testing, the cardiologist told us that probably an unknown virus had attacked my heart muscle, causing a medical condition called cardiomyopathy. My heart was enlarged and could not pump well. Nine days later, I went home on lots of medication with instructions to stay in bed and rest for the better part of the next year. We thought it could not get much worse but were we wrong! One month later, I experienced a sudden cardiac death episode. Only my children were home with me. They called 911 and the EMA arrived and quickly started CPR. Using their defibrillator, they restarted my heart. I spent the next two weeks in the ICU during which the doctors implanted an automatic defibrillator. I came home December 23, just in time for Christmas, my favorite holiday. My daytime "baby-sitters," my mother and mother-in-law, took over the house. My children and my husband adjusted their schedules so I would never be alone.  About one year later, I was finally able to stay by myself.  I moved slowly and learned to take one day at a time. I picked and chose activities that were the most important to me and saved my energy for those. We coped with this life-style change by God's grace and our faith in Him and with the wonderful support of our families and friends. I had my "pity parties" and then celebrated my blessings. My goal became enjoy life each day. I believed God gave me a second chance at life and I needed to take advantage of that! My motto was "Don't ask God to move the mountain. Instead ask God for the faith to climb the mountain!"  Life was bearable.  My condition stabilized for a while even though I did have to have 3 more surgeries related to the defibrillator. In 2001, my stamina was less and my heart function began to decrease. After several hospitalizations, my doctors told me it was time to consider a heart transplant. So off to Emory University we go for regime of tests.  The tests revealed I did need a transplant if I wanted to live. What a decision we had to make…to know that someone would die so that I could live… I had to make the hardest decision of my life. As a strong Christian, I asked our Lord to give me a sign so I would know the path He had chosen for my life.  What happened next was my sign:  The following day I was watching soap operas.  On the Guiding Light, Dr. Rick was sick. His doctor came in and told him he had cardiomyopathy…wait a minute…that’s my illness. So my ears perked up. Then the doctor said that he would need to rest and take lots of heart medications…. (Been there done that I thought)…. and the doctor stated, “Rick you need a heart transplant if you wish to live”. I called my preacher and asked if God talked through soap operas. His reply to me was “God can talk anyway he wishes”. Immediately I knew without a doubt that the transplant was God’s will for me. On June 13, 2002 I officially was placed on the transplant list. On July 19 during a check-up, the doctors determined I needed to be admitted to the hospital for a “tune-up.  I was getting weaker each day…my heart just couldn’t do its job…  After a few days I didn’t improve and the doctors realized that I would be staying in the hospital until I received my new heart-probably a time frame of two months to a year. I was still struggling with the fact that soon I would have someone else’s heart beating in my body and then I was told I would have to live in the hospital while I waited. It was very discouraging. One night as I was reading my Bible, a verse in Ezekiel popped out at me “And God said, I will give you a new heart and a new spirit”. I knew then without a shadow of a doubt my prayer for healing was to be answered and this was God’s plan for my life. I would get my new heart soon. Five nights later after my family had left for the hotel, my nurse walked into the room with a big smile on her face and said, “Sherrell your heart is on the way”. My reaction was “You’ve got to be kidding.” After a moment of realization, I started making the calls to the family.  I was never nervous or scared. I knew I was in a win-win situation. —I would wake up with a new healthy heart or I would be in Jesus’ arms. As soon as my family arrived, we read favorite scriptures from the Bible and had prayer for my donor and his family. At a time of grief and sadness, they unselfishly with love gave life to a total stranger. I will be forever grateful to them. After only a week in the hospital, I was discharged to begin my new life. What a difference I felt! No longer was I struggling to breath… I could climb stairs with ease…I could walk around the whole Mall shopping center (my kids even told me to slow down so they could catch up)…I had my life back. Life was fun again. I can actually make positive plans for the future. I can spend time with family and friends doing all the things I enjoy…. because of my miracle of receiving a new heart.  My life is great! I am an active member of the Transplant Awareness Group with LifeLink speaking at churches, schools, health fairs, and civic clubs sharing my story and promoting organ donation awareness, I serve as the Georgia Transplant Foundation Emory heart mentor project coordinator working with candidates and recipients to answer questions, offer hope, comfort, and encouragement during their stressful life changing entrance into the world of transplantation. I am a director with the Boshears Memorial Skyfest Airshow. I participate as a member of Team Georgia in the National Transplant Games These games are held every 2 years and transplant recipients from all across the country participate in Olympic style games to show the world we can lead normal lives.  Our family businesses, Augusta Aviation, Straight A Express, and Battery Clinic are all Workplace Partners for life promoting organ and tissue donation and I serve as our spokesperson. My family enjoys spending tome together camping, water skiing, snow skiing, and other activities. I play the organ at my church and serve as assistant Sunday School director, future planning team and on the church council. I heard from my donor’s family and now know that my donor was a 28-year-old young man who was very loved by his family…so much that they were able to make the decision to give life to a stranger in their time of despair and grief.   I must keep my gift going. My donor’s family gave me my life back. I know I must share with others what this has meant to my family and me.

2006 UPDATE: I can’t even begin to list all the first time events I have been able to enjoy these last year…from riding in a helicopter, to climbing a mountain, to riding my bicycle over 30 miles at one stretch, to seeing our youngest daughter graduate college and even the simple thing of enjoying a sunset with my husband.  I participated in the 2006 US Transplant Games in Louisville Kentucky with over 1500 other recipients where I came in 6^th in the 100-meter dash in my age group and also competed in the 5k-bike race.  But the biggest surprise of all was in the 20k bicycle race.  A thunderstorm delayed the race for 2 hours making the conditions hot and humid.  I was the oldest competitor in my age group… the only one on a mountain bike and the only “heart” recipient”.  I knew I wasn’t a bike racer but I was going to enjoy the bike ride with a smile on my face.  The gun started the race and the faster competitors’ sped away. On the last lap still smiling, I crossed the line with my hands in the air, tired and glad the race was over.  We stood around talking to all the friends we had made waiting to “watch” the metal ceremony.  As it began, I heard my name called.  I didn’t have a clue what was going on.  As it turned out, I had actually won the bronze medal!  I was trembling and crying.  Tony was allowed to place the medal around my neck.  How honored and humbled I was to receive a medal at these games.  Also Tracy recognizing how important my mentoring other heart candidates and recipients and my passion for promoting organ donation awareness is to me sent in a nomination letter, which allowed me to be recognized as a Giving Your Best Honoree.  This has truly been a year to remember!