“Before You Complain” – by Savilla Kress
Thank you to Savilla Kress (also a transplant recipient) for allowing us to repost this blog from her blog SavillaCreations! (Originally posted on March 27, 2013)
Before you complain about mundane things like weather and traffic, consider taking a breath. Breathe in deep and feel the air go into your lungs. Imagine the oxygen nourishing your cells. Take a deep breath. This is a luxury which many people don’t have. Yesterday Meg Moore passed away from Cystic Fibrosis. She was 25 years old. Meg left behind a young son who probably will never remember how it felt to be held by his mother.
Meg was in the film 65Red_Roses which featured my friend Eva Markvoort. Eva had CF as well. The documentary followed Eva’s amazing journey with her debilitating disease, waiting for a double lung transplant, the call, the surgery, and Eva’s first breath with new lungs.
Eva felt so blessed to have the ability to breathe normally with her new lungs. She was grateful to be given the gift of life, and she was inspired to get involved with promoting organ donation. Being a brilliant artist, she had the idea to paint organs on other transplant recipients, and make a series of stunning photographs. I got the call. Eva asked me if I would model for her campaign, and I said yes. (I am lower left below, Eva is in the center)
When I met Eva over four years ago, I was immediately taken by her magnanimous personality and her beauty. At that point, her body had started to reject her lungs, and she was weak. Despite her fragility, there was a strength inside of her which was admirable. She had hoped to conquer her health problems and receive a new set of lungs. She was on the transplant waiting list… waiting for a call. That call never came. Three years ago today, 25-year old Eva Markvoort took her last breath.
On March 25, she wrote the last post on her blog:
I am not managing, not managing at all. I’m drowning in the medications. I can’t breathe. Every hour. Once an hour. I can’t breathe. Something has to change.
Eva had hopes and dreams like all of us do. She would never get married or have a child as she had hoped to. Shortly before her death, the theatre student received her degree from the University of Victoria at her hospital bedside. Eva’s legacy continues with her art and message of love.
So before you complain, take a breath. Be reminded of the precious little things we often take for granted. Take a breath for Eva, and one for Meg.
– Savilla Kress
If you are interested in finding out more about how you can participate in the campaign and Organ Donation Month, please send us an email, or click here to sign up. All #4Eva items are 25% off during April with promo code: organdonor#4Eva
