February is Heart Health Month and all month long you’ve been sharing your Heart Heroes with us. Thank you…from the bottom of ours. This morning we learned of the deaths of 4 young women in a car accident on I-94 near Alexandria yesterday afternoon. We can’t imagine the depths of despair and grief the families are going through but can get encouragment that good can come from tragedy from Romans 8:28 “…And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, whohave been called according to His purpose.”  I believe it’s no coincedence that we had received this Heart Hero email and shared it with you on the day of this tragic accident. Thank you Deb for your Heart Hero story:

From: Deb

Here is my story that I would like to share. I have left the names out for privacy. Thank you and God bless!

About 10 years ago, my mother-in-law, at age 53, was diagnosed with a rare and deteriorating heart condition. She required constant monitoring and required the use of oxygen 24 hours a day. She couldn’t function and was running out of treatment options. In January 2003, she was finally put on a heart transplant waiting list. In March 2003, her health suddenly declined even further and she was admitted to the U of M hospital until a heart was available or a new treatment option became available. She was placed on an artificial heart pump in the meantime, and her time was quickly running out.

In June 2003 at 3:00am, we received a phone call that we never imagined getting…A HEART WAS AVAILABLE! She underwent the long surgery and stayed in the hospital for about a week. She was finally was able to go home and enjoy life. The hospital would not tell us who the donor was at that time, only that it was a local young, female.

While we were rejoicing, a family was grieving for their lost daughter, who by God’s will was called Home at an early age due to an accident. We had a small feeling who this young person was due to media coverage and so when our daughter was born in July 2003, we decided to name her after her grandma’s potential heart donor.

A year or so later, my mother-in-law recieved a letter from the donor family identifying themselves to us. Our feelings were correct with naming our daughter after grandma’s heart donor.

Today my mother-in-law is living her life to the fullest! She retired from her job about 1 year ago and to honest with you, we can’t keep track of her! She has 6 beautiful grandchildren, between us and my sister-in-law,that she loves so much! If it wasnt for the grace of God and many prayers she would not have been able to meet most of them. My daughter feels so special that she is named after the person that saved her grandma’s life.

We were able to meet the donor’s family and just automatically felt a connection. I could not stop hugging her mother and thanked them over and over for allowing their daughter to be a donor and save my mother-in-law’s life. We all agreed that prayer is so powerful. They prayed that their daughter’s life would be spared, but God had other plans for her. She was able to save many other lives. We all learned to NEVER GIVE UP ON GOD!!

This is such a special story that I absolutely LOVE to tell over and over again. Even though this is occurred almost 9 year ago, I still get teary eyed telling the story, and I’m so proud to be able to tell our story.