{"id":26,"date":"2023-12-17T16:06:58","date_gmt":"2023-12-17T16:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforlindseyf\/?p=26"},"modified":"2023-12-28T16:29:07","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T16:29:07","slug":"timeline-hospital-discharge-to-prior-to-meeting-the-donor-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforlindseyf\/2023\/12\/17\/timeline-hospital-discharge-to-prior-to-meeting-the-donor-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Timeline: Hospital Discharge to Prior to Meeting the Donor Family"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Remainder of the summer and fall of 2001<\/strong> \u2014 We spend working at various COTA fund raising events (Golf tournament, car shows, concerts and auctions.) We raise over $100,000 for COTA for Lindsey F to assist with transplant-related expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/10\/02<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey is admitted to the Cleveland Clinic for a rejection episode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4\/16\/02<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey appears in Women\u2019s World magazine (article titled, \u201cA Girl With a Heart of Gold”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 2002<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey graduates from high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 2002<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey starts working in the Preschool at Erie First Christian Academy with my wife, Dara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 2003<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey starts working as a full time Nanny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\/5\/04<\/strong> \u2014 On the way back from her semi-annual heart biopsy and catheterization, Lindsey makes the observation and comment concerning her donor family. Lindsey says, \u201cDad, what if my donor was the only girl in that family?\u201d Not knowing where Lindsey was going with her comment, I said, \u201cWell, we don\u2019t really know anything about the family, so it\u2019s possible that she was the only girl.\u201d Lindsey continued, \u201cDad, do you think that when I get married, that we could try to contact the donor\u2019s Dad and see if he
would want to walk me down the aisle?\u201d With tears running down my face, I replied, \u201cHoney, that would be a very good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 2005<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey, Dara and I attend our first volunteer training seminar at C.O.R.E. in Pittsburgh, PA. We meet a \u201cDonor Mother\u201d for the first time (Malinda.) She lost her daughter in a car accident the same year that Lindsey got her heart transplant. C.O.R.E. is so impressed with Lindsey\u2019s story that they ask her to come back in the Spring of their annual Donor Memorial service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 2005 <\/strong>\u2014 Lindsey is a keynote speaker at the annual Donor Memorial service sponsored by C.O.R.E. She writes a letter and addresses the audience as if everyone in attendance was her donor family. Afterward, Lindsey sends the letter to her Donor family through the proper channels at the Cleveland Clinic. Lindsey comments, \u201cDad, this is the last letter\u2026I don\u2019t have anything more to give. If they don\u2019t respond to this, they never will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 2005<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey meets Adam Allgeier at a church meeting and they start dating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early October 2005<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey prepares to give a PowerPoint presentation at our church\u2019s Young Adult Group meeting. Adam asks about the name of the person listed on a slide (a person we thought could have been Lindsey\u2019s actual donor.) This leads to Adam searching the internet and finding an article written by Al and Sandy Whitney about their Organ Donation experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mid October 2005<\/strong> \u2014 Lindsey contacts C.O.R.E. and then LifeGift (the OPO in Houston, TX) about wanting to contact the Donor family. LifeGift notifies both Lindsey and the Whitney\u2019s that the Tyra Banks Show wants them to meet for the first time on the TV show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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