Good point, Joy. I just bawled my eyes out in reading a story in the latest Reader's Digest, today. A young man of 16 was shot by a gang of kids in a car while he was with friends in an empty lot across from his house. His mother, through all of her shock and grief, okayed the use of his organs.

Her life went on, but she was always sad and never understood why it had to happen. She always felt that his heart and soul were connected and comforted herself with the thought that his heart might go to save a young child's life.

Well, one day she received an anonymous card, forwarded through the transplant bank (the anonymity was required.) It was a thank you from a 60 year old man, for her son's heart. It made he very angry that someone whom she thought was not going to live very long had received her son's heart instead of a child.

Time went on and the 60 yr. old and his wife moved to a retirement community. One day as they were leaving the dining room, an angry man, about 300 lbs., who'd had runs in with some of the neighbours came in with guns and started shooting at everyone in sight. The 60 yr. watched in horror as the guy emptied one gun, then reached for another. At that moment, the 60 yr. old heard a voice tell him he could take the guy, could stop him before he shot anymore people. He found himself tackling the man to the ground and wrestling with him, until he could be tied up by other residents. When it was over 2 people were dead and several wounded.

Eventually the heart donor's mom heard about the story and found out is was her son's heart which gave that man the ability to be there and to save the lives of 41 people that day (the police said he'd had enough ammo to kill them all 3 times over)and she believes it was her son's voice the man heard encouraging him to take the chance. It was then she found peace and acceptance of her loss.

(sorry for the bit of thread drift)

kat