Have A Heart: An Etched Poem About Organ Donation

“Your gift can save a mom or dad

or help a child survive.

You can mend a broken heart

and keep someone alive.”

Have A Heart

This poem was originally written as a gift for a young man, and a family friend, who was waiting for a heart.  He needed it quickly or he would die.  He was not someone who abused his body or lived an unhealthy life.  He was born with a defective heart and underwent one of the first pediatric heart transplants when he was only a few days old. Unfortunately, years of medications, plus simple growth issues, took its toll on that first donated heart. He needed another one at age 20, while he was attending college.  It takes time to find a donor (and sadly, the families of donors have just suffered immeasurably because they have lost someone close to them), and the proposed recipient must be healthy enough to undergo the rigors of surgery.  It requires an amazing amount of medical brilliance, medical technology, committed medical team members, and logistics including transportation of organ(s), blood, etc. After several possible donor hearts could not be used because of failing health, this young man rallied (with the help of a very committed family and medical team) and he was able to get a new heart.  He also needed a new kidney which was also failing because of years of medications and wear and tear, and this required a second surgery a couple of days after the heart transplant.

Today, he is alive, healthy, and he speaks around the country encouraging organ donation.  And he is alive because of three different organ donors. And he is very grateful to his donors and their families. They, along with some incredible scientists and medical teams, and a wonderful family, kept him alive.

The piece shown above is etched, 20 x 16 inches, framed, with an oval opening.  I have used my own photo in the picture poem, though I have not been an organ donor or recipient.

Available with one or two rectangular openings.  I am not using the oval opening so that we can hold down the price of these pieces a bit, in order to encourage organ donation.  The ovals are quite expensive. The second opening could be used for a family photo, or a photo of the physician(s), nurses, or anything else you might want to include. Perhaps you might want to include  “before surgery and after surgery” photos.

Offered in black matte with gold matte around the photo opening(s). Black frame. (Frame shown is not available.)

Personalization included.  Contact me to let me know the name with correct spelling and the town and city or the hospital to be included.

$279.99   Add $30.00 for second double matted photo opening.*
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of etched picture poems.

*Shipping, handling and sales tax, if applicable, are extra.

Donate life. Click here.

“You see, there are so many lives

that you can help to mend.

Be a gift. Have a heart.

Be the one to save a life:

your life will live again.”

To see the 4×6 photo poem version, click here.

To see the downloadable versions, in both 8×10 and 4×6 inch sizes, click here.

Copyright Daniel Mark Extrom. All rights reserved. 2009-2014