Posts tagged: organ donation
My Sunday story about John Baker, who lost his daughter to cystic fibrosis and now gives talks to teens about organ donation, was a grief exercise in the reporting. I didn't have Kleenex at the talk he gave to the Ferris students and couldn't stop the tears. And I'm not prone to tears. Sometimes in my reporting, I meet people whose strength and grace amaze me. John is one of these people. He lost two children and battled cancer and as his daughter told me:
“My dad has always amazed me by his consistent positive attitude,” said oldest daughter, Nicole Jonak of Portland. “He has a very strong faith in God that he relies on. He finds meaning in always asking himself how his experiences can help others and then acting on those ideas.”
Thanks John, for agreeing to the story.
(S-R/Dan Pelle photo of John Baker)
Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with Catherine Johnston, an Olympia, Wash., writer who works in hospital administration, write about issues of grief when facing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.
Ask a question: Rebecca and Catherine answer grief questions in their syndicated EndNotes column for McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Email them at endnotescolumn@gmail.com.
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