November 9 & 10, 2005 — We fly out to LA for the taping of the Tyra Banks Show. We meet the Whitney’s for the first time on the show. Sandy Whitney’s dream is to listen to their daughter’s heart beating in the recipient’s chest. This very tender moment was captured on TV and then again when we met them afterward for dinner. During the show, Lindsey tells the Whitney’s about her dream of wanting her donor family to be at
her wedding. Not knowing any of the particulars, the Whitney’s agree.
As the show ended, we had an opportunity to meet privately with the Whitney’s to express our gratitude to them in a more personal way. Dara bought a heart-shaped jewelry box with a heart-shaped pendant. She had Lindsey’s name engraved on one side and Samantha engraved on the other. As Sandy opened the box she explained why she hadn’t responded to Lindsey’s “wonderful” letters. Each time Sandy read them, they reminded her of Samantha. Evidently, the way Lindsey wrote and the phrases she used were very similar to their daughter’s. As Sandy put it, “It was too close—I just wasn’t ready to face the heart recipient—until now.” Al Whitney added, “Don’t ever stop writing those letters…we love receiving those letters!”
12/16/05 — The Tyra Banks Show, with Lindsey and the Whitney’s airs across the country.
July 2006 — We spend a week with the Whitney’s at their summer cottage in Lake George, NY. We meet many of Samantha’s cousins, uncles, aunts and other extended family members.
12/3/06 — Lindsey and Adam Allgeier get engaged in Pittsburgh at a huge outdoor skating rink underneath a gigantic decorated Christmas tree. Adam originally takes Lindsey to where he thinks Lindsey wants to go for their special engagement moment—but when they get there, the place is under construction. Adam actually “crashed and burned” and all seemed lost. Lindsey called us crying and saying that things were just all wrong. Finally, Adam takes Lindsey to where he originally wanted to go and their magic moment happened in the middle of a closed ice skating rink.
June 2007 — Lindsey and Adam fly to Houston to meet the Whitney’s. The Whitney’s wanted Lindsey to see where Samantha grew up. They meet Samantha’s boyfriend that she was dating at the time of her car accident (Samantha was actually driving to her boyfriend’s house when she died in a car crash). Lindsey also goes to the cemetery to see where Samantha was laid to rest. During their visit, Lindsey asks Al and Sandy if they would agree to be a part of their wedding. They then go shopping for a “Donor Mother of the Bride” dress and a “Donor Father of the Bride” tuxedo.
July 24, 2007 — Ironically, on Lindsey’s six-year Heart Transplant Birthday, she is rushed to the hospital with chest pains and shortness of breath. She woke us up at 2:30 in morning clutching her chest and white as a ghost. It’s the most frightened we have ever been in our entire lives. After a brief stay at our local emergency room, she is then sent by ambulance to the Cleveland Clinic. Lindsey had an inflammation around her heart caused by a recent heart catheterization. After a four-day hospital stay, Lindsey is
discharged and sent home.
January 19, 2008 — Lindsey and Adam will be married at Erie First Assembly of God Church, followed by a reception at the Courtyard Marriott in Erie, PA. Lindsey will have 10 children in her wedding party—some of whom she met while waiting for her heart in the Cleveland Clinic. One of her bridesmaids is a girl that Lindsey met while waiting for her heart. They both had the same primary diagnosis and both received their new hearts within a month of each other. Finally, Al and Sandy Whitney will be part of the ceremony as well. Lindsey’s donor Mom and Dad will be specially honored during the ceremony.
