Five years ago, Jammy Davies faced a parent’s worst nightmare. Her 20-year old daughter, Chelsea, became critically ill with bacterial meningitis, an infection in the brain and spinal cord.
When Chelsea died at Hartford Hospital, Davies and her husband faced a wrenching decision: Would they be willing to donate their beloved daughter’s organs?
Their decision saved a man’s life. A year later, the organ recipient reached out to her in a letter.
“The first time I read it, I cried and cried. I loved receiving the letter, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it and I even hid the letter away to keep me from crying,” Davies recalled.
Then she received another letter from him. And another.
While reading each letter about how the recipient was doing and how grateful he was, Davies wanted to respond, but couldn’t bring herself to write back because it was still too painful, she said. However, three months later, she finally did.
“It was a huge wave of relief,” said Davies, shown above, with her son Aiden. “Since Chelsea’s passing, I was going through an internal struggle, but sending out that letter put me one step further in the healing process.”
Since sending her letter, Davies and the recipient have been in constant communication and they were finally able to meet a couple months later.
“We had an instant connection,” said Davies. “It made my life more comforting and it felt really good because of how natural and real our interactions were. He was crying just as much as we were, if not more.”
Davies and her family, including her four sons, got to know the recipient during that time and even brought him to Chelsea’s gravesite. While sharing stories and details of Chelsea’s life, Davies realized the impact the organ donation had on not only the recipient, but on her as well.
“It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was the right choice because we get to see life again,” said Davies. “We didn’t have a choice in Chelsea’s passing, but we had a choice to see life continue through him.”
Davies said that the recipient is doing well and he’s happy, healthy, and humble. She said he has even fallen in love and is travelling as much as possible; which Davies loves to hear.
“It makes me feel good to know that he was given a chance at life and he has taken full advantage of it,” said Davies. “I want him and every recipient to live their life to the fullest and make the most of the life they were given. That’s what makes me happy now.”
For more information about transplant services and to learn how to become a donor, visit www.hartfordhospital.org.