Organ Recipient Thanks Others’ ‘Everyday Heroism’
“My life has been returned to me after many years of chronic illness,” commented Bill Hahn, who wrote a song to thank organ donors and their families that is part of this Share YOUR Story video. Send Goodness Reigns your story or that of someone you know who brings goodness to others.
Called “Gift of Life,” the story of the former pro surfer and organ recipient is the focus of the most recent “Share Your Story” video that is part of efforts by Goodness Reigns to spotlight how faith inspires everyday goodness. April is national “Donate Life” month, and to recognize these selfless acts of kindness, as well as to better educate Catholics on this issue, Goodness Reigns will be releasing its “Share Your Story” video about Hahn and will be featuring resources and reflections on organ donation through its blog during the month.
The Catholic Church supports this act of charity. In Evangelium Vitae (On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life, 1995) the Venerable Pope John Paul II observed: “There is an everyday heroism made up of gestures and sharing, big or small, which build up an authentic culture of life. A particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures is the donation of organs, performed in an ethically acceptable manner, with a view to offering a chance of health and even life itself to the sick who sometimes have no hope.”
Hahn was one of those suffering but not without hope. “My life has been returned to me after many years of chronic illness,” commented Hahn, who wrote a song to thank donors and their families that is part of the video. “I hope to share my story with many of those who have gone through the same and worse than me. … And I have found God as he has saved me.”
Hahn now lives with a deep sense of gratitude for organ donors and their families who give the most precious gift of life to those in need. His journey intensified his faith, and continues to propel him to spend as much free-time interacting with donor families, Hahn said. “They see in me the spirit of their (loved one) trying to make a difference in the world.”
His video tribute will become part of a growing repository of videos in an effort to recognize examples of goodness through the “Share Your Story” component of Goodness Reigns, which invites others to contact the organization about their stories of faith. To view the video, visit: http://www.goodnessreigns.com/films-share.php.
Resources:
For the full text of John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae (On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life, 1995), visit: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae_en.html
For information on organ donation, visit: http://donatelife.net/
For information on “The Fifth Quarter,” a recently released movie that depicts the true story of a family’s experience of loss and healing, visit: http://the5thquartermovie.com/.
