This poem was written in 2015 after my husband received a life-saving double lung transplant at the Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane. At this time we were engaged, and his health was rapidly declining due to a genetic condition. Thankfully, due to an extraordinary medical team and the generosity of an organ donor and their family, he is now able to enjoy a full healthy life.
The music in this piece was created by multidisciplinary artist and fellow transplant recipient Spider McKey. Following my husband’s transplant, we shared the journey with Spider when he received new lungs shortly afterward. It was a pleasure to collaborate with Spider to create this poem of gratitude.
You can learn more about organ donation in Australia here.
*Image credit: Freaktography ‘Vacant Ontario Hospital’ licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 modified.
Sarah Temporal 