Be A Warrior-Donate Organs-Save A Life
Sooooo, I was not going to post anything about this because it was very personal to me. I was asked by Stacy Luck, the daughter of Jerry and Marcia Luck to write about this in hopes of raising awareness for organ donation and the impacts it can have on peoples lives.
In September of 2014 I was doing my thang at the St. Charles Missouri art show. I had wondered off to check out the show when I passed the cupcake truck. OMG...Red Velvet Cupcakes the size of my face. Well of course I had to have one. Back to my booth I went with cupcake in tow. Much to my delight, my sweet husband had run off and gotten me an adult beverage. One bloody mary to be exact. So there I was, just a girl, a cupcake, a bloody mary, a booth full of art, and her thoughts...lol...PURE BLISS.
In September of 2014 I was doing my thang at the St. Charles Missouri art show. I had wondered off to check out the show when I passed the cupcake truck. OMG...Red Velvet Cupcakes the size of my face. Well of course I had to have one. Back to my booth I went with cupcake in tow. Much to my delight, my sweet husband had run off and gotten me an adult beverage. One bloody mary to be exact. So there I was, just a girl, a cupcake, a bloody mary, a booth full of art, and her thoughts...lol...PURE BLISS.
I was trying to decide if I was going to have my vegetables first or desert when a gentleman offered to take my drink off my hands. I laughed out loud and offered to share that one or go get him one to drink with me. He was with his wife and adult daughter and seemed to be quite a character. After I offered him my drink he smiled and declined saying he had not had a drink in quite some time. I asked him why thinking it was probably a drinking problem he had recovered from. Nope not too much booze. He had fatty liver disease and it had destroyed his liver. He was actually on a transplant list and had been for one full year. At second glance he did look under the weather to me. As he told his story he said he had never been a drinker. Never had he done drugs. Seemed totally unfair to me that his liver had crapped out and he had no embarrasing pics to show off the progression of that. If it was me no one would question why. My check live light comes on frequently. There are PLENTY of " I shouldn't have done that"stories to prove liver abuse. And yet there we were.
As I continued to chat with he and his wife, I could see and feel the worry on her and I could sense his complete frustration and anger with the waiting game he was in. He seemed tired to me and ready to give up. I am sure the weight of the situation combined with feeling horrible for an entire year had taken quite a toll on him. I am no counselor,nor am I a saint. I am no preacher, nor a prophet, nor am I a wise man. I am far from perfect. I wish I was a healer but I am not. Sometimes there are no words for someone hurting that deeply. The only thing I had to offer them was a painting.
You see I believe that each and every painting that I do belongs to someone. I never know who that someone is until they wonder into my booth and buy the painting or order it online. But sometimes there is more to it. Each and every show and live event that I do I give away a painting. Not bragging. It is just a simple act of kindness. Usually it is to a child who wants to be an artist and their parent won't or can't buy them a painting. It is honestly the least I can do being that I am living my life the way I want and feel so blessed to be doing it. When I noticed his wife and daughter looking at the art, I knew this time the painting belonged to Jerry.
As I continued to chat with he and his wife, I could see and feel the worry on her and I could sense his complete frustration and anger with the waiting game he was in. He seemed tired to me and ready to give up. I am sure the weight of the situation combined with feeling horrible for an entire year had taken quite a toll on him. I am no counselor,nor am I a saint. I am no preacher, nor a prophet, nor am I a wise man. I am far from perfect. I wish I was a healer but I am not. Sometimes there are no words for someone hurting that deeply. The only thing I had to offer them was a painting.
You see I believe that each and every painting that I do belongs to someone. I never know who that someone is until they wonder into my booth and buy the painting or order it online. But sometimes there is more to it. Each and every show and live event that I do I give away a painting. Not bragging. It is just a simple act of kindness. Usually it is to a child who wants to be an artist and their parent won't or can't buy them a painting. It is honestly the least I can do being that I am living my life the way I want and feel so blessed to be doing it. When I noticed his wife and daughter looking at the art, I knew this time the painting belonged to Jerry.
I asked his wife Marcia and daughter Stacy what painting caught their eye and they picked the one you see them holding. I took it off the wall, signed the back of it and told Jerry when he got his transplant to take that painting to the hospital with him and send me a pic. I told him he HAD to believe he had a liver and and he HAD to belive it would all work out. With that they were off. We exchanged friend requests on FB and I vowed to keep tabs on the situation,
In 2015 I saw Jerry and Marcia again at the same show. Marcia had had a stroke that year and had brain surgery I believe. She has since made a full recovery. Again, I told them to never give up.
2016 came and Marcia had a heart attack. No, I am not making this up. Again, she made a recovery. I wondered how much more this family would have to endure. Jerry was already ill and would not survive without a new liver.
I missed the 2016 art show due to weather so I didnt get to see Jerry in September like I usually do. November 15th I got a late night text from my best friend Kiko telling me I had been tagged on Facebook and that I should go look at it. Stacy Luck, the daughter of Jerry,had tagged me in a post and this is what it said.
"In September of 2014, after my dad had been on the transplant list for over a year, we met an amazing woman, Kathleen Fenton. We talked with her at her booth at the Mosaic Festival in St. Charles. After listening to my dads story and his frustration with his wait, she sent my parents home with a beautiful painting and the wonderful reminder that we must BELIEVE that a liver would come. We promised Kathleen that the painting would come to the hospital with us when we got the call. And here we are, over two years later, excited to post these post transplant photos and to let everyone know that we never stopped believing!"
OMGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!JERRY GOT A LIVER!!!!!!
In 2015 I saw Jerry and Marcia again at the same show. Marcia had had a stroke that year and had brain surgery I believe. She has since made a full recovery. Again, I told them to never give up.
2016 came and Marcia had a heart attack. No, I am not making this up. Again, she made a recovery. I wondered how much more this family would have to endure. Jerry was already ill and would not survive without a new liver.
I missed the 2016 art show due to weather so I didnt get to see Jerry in September like I usually do. November 15th I got a late night text from my best friend Kiko telling me I had been tagged on Facebook and that I should go look at it. Stacy Luck, the daughter of Jerry,had tagged me in a post and this is what it said.
"In September of 2014, after my dad had been on the transplant list for over a year, we met an amazing woman, Kathleen Fenton. We talked with her at her booth at the Mosaic Festival in St. Charles. After listening to my dads story and his frustration with his wait, she sent my parents home with a beautiful painting and the wonderful reminder that we must BELIEVE that a liver would come. We promised Kathleen that the painting would come to the hospital with us when we got the call. And here we are, over two years later, excited to post these post transplant photos and to let everyone know that we never stopped believing!"
OMGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!JERRY GOT A LIVER!!!!!!
Jerry recovering from his surgery and liver transplant....with the message I had put on the back of the painting.
Jerry and Marcia. What an amazing couple they are!!!
Jerry and his daughter Stacy.
I have to tell you that I cried when I read what she wrote. I also said a prayer for the family that lost a loved one and had the compassion to save a life in the middle of their horrible loss. The folks who donates their organs are warriors just like Jerry. Warriors who cheat death. An organ donar tells death, "You can not beat me because I am leaving part of me behind to live on".
BE A WARRIOR. DONATE AN ORGAN. SAVE A LIFE.
As an artist, I have grown up thinking I wanted to live long enough to see people enjoying my art inside a museum so that I could feel like I had made it to the big leagues or something like that. Well this my friends is WAY COOLER. My "Heart" made it all the way to the transplant ward. I am deeply humbled and my world is full of pure joy. I never expected to be so moved by something like this but moved I am.
I have plans to go visit Jerry and his family after he is able to take visitors. I am bringing him a bloody mary and a red velvet cupcake.
Never, Never, NEVER stop Believing.
Love Rio
BE A WARRIOR. DONATE AN ORGAN. SAVE A LIFE.
As an artist, I have grown up thinking I wanted to live long enough to see people enjoying my art inside a museum so that I could feel like I had made it to the big leagues or something like that. Well this my friends is WAY COOLER. My "Heart" made it all the way to the transplant ward. I am deeply humbled and my world is full of pure joy. I never expected to be so moved by something like this but moved I am.
I have plans to go visit Jerry and his family after he is able to take visitors. I am bringing him a bloody mary and a red velvet cupcake.
Never, Never, NEVER stop Believing.
Love Rio