Far too young.
Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer this week.
But remember that without a donated liver, he would likely have lost his battle several years ago.
The world lost one of its best a couple of days ago. Lost in the outpouring of accolades for a genius committed to excellence is the fact that he outlived his life expectancy. He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer years ago, but most who have heard that diagnosis have only months to live. How did Steve Jobs survive so long? In part because he received a liver from an organ donor a couple of years ago. He thanked his donor in one of his speeches, and acknowledged that he was alive because of that generous gift. I did a poem last year titled “So Hope Will Live,” written from the perspective of a recipient and serving as a “thank you” to organ donors and their families. The poem was not written with Steve Jobs in mind, but it might express his sentiments. Here is Part I of that poem:
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So Hope Will Live (Part I)
We are strangers now a family, forever joined—not by choice—but joined by need and joined by pain: different lives, but common voice—
a cry for love, a cry for life, so hope will live, eternally, born of saddest irony. Life will never be the same—
not for you and not for me: One you love—who shares your name—
now is gone, but I remain: a second chance, a new domain—
a gift of life, that lives in me; we are strangers now a family.
Copyright 20010-2011 All rights reserved. Daniel Mark Extrom.
Be an organ donor: www.donatelife.org.
