You've likely seen the prayer wall in the hallway at Fairmount Ministries & Coffee Co. It's a wonderful space to leave a prayer card or take one to pray over yourself.
Recently, we came across a prayer request from an adult child asking for prayers that a kidney donor be found for their mother. At the bottom, written in a different hand, a Fairmount guest wrote a reply.
Can you believe this? A child, desperate to find a life-saving donor, lifts up a prayer request in a hallway of a local coffee shop. A complete stranger who may have come across it as randomly as waiting in line for the restroom sees this prayer and offers to answer it...literally.
Fittingly, April is Organ & Tissue Donor awareness month. Here are some facts and questions answered about Organ & Tissue Donation:
How many people are currently waiting for a kidney transplant? As of 4/13/21 there are 90,873 individuals waiting for a kidney transplant in the United States. 9,747 are from Kansas. {source}
More than 85% of those who are waiting in the US, are waiting for a kidney. {source}
What is a Living Donation? "A living donor is an option for patients who otherwise may face a lengthy wait for an organ from a deceased donor. To spare an individual a long and uncertain wait, relatives, loved ones, friends, and even individuals who wish to remain anonymous may serve as living donors. Kidney and liver transplant candidates who are able to receive a living donor transplant can receive the best quality organ much sooner, often in less than a year." {source}
What does my Christian faith say about Organ & Tissues Donation?
The Bible doesn't mention Organ & Tissue Donation directly, but it does say a lot about love. And what greater love...than to give the gift of life?
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:11
"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people" - Galatians 6:10
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" - John 15: 12-13
"While there are variations in specific views, it is clear that most major religions of the world do in fact permit, allow and support transplantation and donation." {Source}
Statement on Organ & Tissue Donation from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
If you have questions about Faith and Organ & Tissue donation, please feel free to reach out to us!
Keep in mind, a lot of things need to fall into place for this to happen. One being we have to be able to connect these two. We reached out to the number on the card, and it just so happens the potential donor is one of our students, but we have absolutely no idea who left the request!
Would you cover this in prayer? If you are on social media, would you also please share our posts or this blog post about connecting these two people?
To the person who left this request, please reach out to us if you see this post!
We can be reached here via direct message, you can email us at fairmountministries@gmail.com, or call us at 316-684-5224 x2.
--
Additional resources:
Midwest Transplant Network (local network for Missouri & Kansas)
Comments