"Truly appreciating every day": Organ donor recipients remain grateful 29 years later
BOSTON -- Suzi Holmes and Allan Afrow share a very unusual Valentine's Day bond. Both were given a second chance at life by receiving transplants from the same donor on February 14, 1994.
"This is my sister and I love her," Afrow said of Holmes.
"I'm thrilled every time I hear Allan is doing well. I'm grateful for my own life but I'm even more grateful because I know he is doing well," Holmes said.
Afrow was 46 years old when he received a kidney transplant. "I still choke up about that. It truly was a gift. And thank god I received his gift of life because I am truly, truly appreciating every day," Afrow said.
Suzi was 30 when she received a liver transplant from the same donor. As a schoolteacher, she still gets to make a difference.
"Over the 29 years, I've been able to have my own son, two years after my transplant -- a dream that I never thought I would able to do. I've been able to teach over 500 children. So, my donor's mom didn't just save my life but gave me the chance to touch other lives," Holmes said.
Both have stayed in touch with the donor's mother over the years.
For this Valentine's Day, they have a message for others who are thinking about being organ donors.
"There are thousands of people who could benefit from an organ transplant right now and it's one of the most giving and loving things a person can do," Holmes said.
