Grace Sato

I never thought that organ donation would become such a big part of my life, or that it would be part of my life. Its interesting how losing my older daughter, when she was only eight, opened up a whole new door for me. I never thought about organ donation. I was young and my children, Tamiko and Reiko (then eight and four) were young. There was no need for me to concern myself with organ donation, or so I thought.

When Tamiko was five, she suffered a massive bleed in her brain due to a congenital defect. On August 16, 2001, Tamiko passed away from massive hemorrhaging in her brain. She was almost nine. There is so much I wish I did with her, so many ways I could have shown her how much I loved her and a promise I vowed to keep for her.

Tamiko was here to teach me how to be a good mom and to appreciate the time I have with my children now. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. She is my angel and I thank her for helping me see what she was trying to teach me and guiding me through the hard times. I know that she is watching over Reiko and me, making sure I take care of her baby sister. What I would give for just "one more day".

The staff at New Jersey Sharing Network has always been kind, caring and considerate. I received a letter of thanks and basic details of the seven recipients. I cried so hard when I opened that letter. I was invited to attend their support group meetings. I was only able to attend one due to the distance and lack of transportation. It felt so good to be with others who went through similar experiences.

Upon reading the letter stating the facts about the recipients, I felt an overwhelming joy and peace. I may not be able to see Tamiko, but she lives on in so many. She has given so many a chance and hope. I know that donating Tamiko's organs made a difference in my life. It allowed me to have a little bit of her in different people. By allowing myself to see past my hurt and loss, I have gained so much from this experience. I see the recipients with their families and how much they are loved. They have touched our lives in so many ways. Knowing that they are out there helped me to remember that the sun would shine again to let Tamiko smile down on us.