Boy Mom

It had been three days since my name was on the list and, suddenly, I was being prepped for surgery. I called my husband and he gathered the kids and drove to New York City so I could hug everyone one more time. I am a mother of two boys, both of whom are adults now—even if I will always see them as my babies. When I was told my donor was a man in his 30s, the very first thought I had was of how he was someone’s son. I was inconsolable. There is such complete gratitude for this amazing gift of a second chance, but it comes with the knowledge of how tragic it all is.

When the surgical team was ready, the entire nursing staff stood outside of my door playing the song “Milkshake.” With the words “my milkshake brings all

OCTOBER 10, 2022