July 13, 2020
My name is Alex Stewart and I’m an organ recipient. (As told by his mom Jessica). From the moment Alex was born, 12 years ago, we knew we couldn’t take a single second for granted. Alex needed a heart transplant and the hardest part was the waiting and all the unknowns. Every day we’d wonder if that day would be the day. Would he get worse before he’d receive his new heart?
In Nebraska, a little boy named Easton, died from an intestinal disease at only 18 months old. His parents gave us and Alex the gift of life and we are forever grateful. Over the year, each new thing he learned or experienced was a big deal. We feel that each birthday is a huge milestone, and we celebrate his heart anniversary every year.
We had several people in our extended family that weren’t registered to be organ donors until Alex received his new heart. I, myself, was one of them. The gift of receiving an organ is unlike any gift you could ever give or receive. It brings families closer together, it gives light and hope when there may only be darkness.