TRIO Delivers Worldwide Thank You's to ITNS Nurses
September 26th, 2008
Conference
highlight . . .
A highlight at the
joint
convention held by the International Transplant Nurses Society
(ITNS) and Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) from
September 25, 2008 to September 27,
2008 at the Millennium Hotel in
(PS: Reg Green writes: In
case my wife reads this, I am officially denying that I hugged five
hundred nurses from 17 countries.)
(2nd PS: It took Reg over 5
hours to personally sign his message in those 500 books - "Thank you, Reg!")
To say the moment was
emotional is an undestatement as both nurses and the presenting
recipient often filled with tears in sharing this special
connection. Quotes from nurses included:
"I was filled with tears and had goose bumps from the recipients hugging me and then gift of those letters."
"This was just what I needed right now given some recent challenges in my nursing career - just to know that I am making a difference in people's lives..."
And it
went on and on . . .
Even before the event
organizer, Jim Gleason, a heart recipient out 14 years, had addressed
the group describing the unique gift that each nurse had just received,
surprised discoveries as nurses realized their fellow table companions
each had a totally different letter of thanks in their book caused a
stir in the huge ballroom of over 50 tables sitting 10 nurses
each. Quickly the books were passed around to allow others to
read the various letters with even bigger surprise when they discovered
letters from small children thanking them for saving the life of their
father, or letters from as distant as Australia and the UK, and in
several cases, nurses received letters from their own patients!
(PS: Jim shared that just before coming to St. Louis he had asked his
church pastor to bless these 600+ thank-you letters that their messages
from the heart would be received with open hearts of joy, not pain, by
the nurses in the way they were intended. Pastor John was pleased
to do so and asked if he might read some of the letters.
Certainly, I replied. Pastor John sat down and began to carefully
read first one, then more of the letters. As he continued, he
reached into his back pocket and pulled out a hankerchef to wipe the
tears as he cried in reading the beautiful stories and messages of
thanks in those donor and patient letters. I was very moved in
witnessing the impact of those messages. He went on to bless the
letters and they certainly did touch the hearts of the nurses when
received.)
And now
YOU can read them too . . .
Challenged with the
interest of everyone in reading the hundreds of letters (remember, the
attending nurses only go tto read "their" letter and maybe a few at the
table around them...), Jim agreed to
develop a section of the TRIO web site to post the letters allowing not
only the attendees to read more of the letters, but also to offer an
opportunity for nurses everywhere to share in this unique experience,
extending the outreach of gratitude far beyond this single symposium
event. It is hoped that nurses around the world, especially when
they may be feeling overwhelmed with the work they do or recent events
in their lives, could find comfort and support in reading the many
stories and words of thanks here.
To read those letters
click on:
To a
Transplant Nurse. (Note: those hundreds of letters are being posted
over time, so come back for more in the near future) Also, there
are posted stories and reactions to those letters at: Event
Reactions
Its not
too late . . .
If anyone still wants to
participate in this event, you may send your letters to a transplant
nurse to GleasonJim@aol.com
and I will make sure they get included in the final posting here.
Make your comments on the story above? click on: TRIO Bulletin Board Log in and post your questions, ideas and topics. Communicate with other transplant recipients, donors and families. Check out our new topics and add your own suggestions. Help build this community with your own postings to help others. Add your own questions and thoughts.