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None of the rest of the family got sick, though. He's going to have to watch it. His doctor is concerned about his weight." to me. First, almost every night, and still sometimes now, I actu- None of the rest of the family got sick, though. He's going to ally feel the accident my donor had. I can feel the impact in my ave to watch it. His doctor is concerned about his weight." chest. It slams into me, but my doctor said everything looks fine. Also, I hate meat now. I can't stand it. I was McDonald's biggest Case 7 money-maker, and now meat makes me throw up. Actually, The donor was a three-year-old girl who drowned in the family when I even smell it, my heart starts to race. But that's not the big ool. The recipient was a nine-year-old boy diagnosed with deal. My doctor said that's just due to my medicines. myocarditis and septal defect. "T couldn't tell him, but what really bothers me is that I'm The recipient's mother said: engaged to be married now. He's a great guy and we love each "He [the recipient] doesn't know who his donor was or how she other. The sex is terrific. The problem is, I'm gay. At least, I died. We do. She drowned at her mother's boyfriend's house. thought I was. After my transplant, I'm not...I don't think, any- Her mother and her boyfriend left her with a teenage babysitter way...I'm sort of semi- or confused gay. Women still seem attrac- who was on the phone when it happened. I never met her father, tive to me, but my boyfriend turns me on; women don't. I have ut the mother said they had a very ugly divorce and that the absolutely no desire to be with a woman. I think I got a gender father never saw his daughter. She said she worked a lot of hours transplant." and wished she had spent more time with her. I think she feels The recipient's brother reported: pretty guilty about it all...you know, the both of them sort of not "Susie's straight now. I mean it seriously. She was gay and appreciating their daughter until it was too late." now her new heart made her straight. She threw out all her books The recipient, who claimed not to know who the donor was, and stuff about gay politics and never talks about it any more. reported: She was really militant about it before. "T talk to her sometimes. I can feel her She holds hands and cuddles with in there. She seems very sad. She is Steven just like my girlfriend does very afraid. I tell her it's okay, but she with me. She talks girl-talk with my is very afraid. She says she wishes that girlfriend, where before she would be " parents wouldn't throw away their chil- lecturing about the evils of sexist men. Also, I hate meat now. dren. I don't know why she would say And my sister, the queen of the Big ' i that." Mac, hates meat. She won't even have I cant stand it. The recipient's mother said about the it in the house." l was McDonald S biggest recipient: 4 "Well, the one thing I notice most is Case 6 money maker, and now meat that Jimmy is now deathly afraid of the The donor was a 14-year-old girl makes me throw up." water. He loved it before. We live on injured in a gymnastics accident. The a lake and he won't go out in the back- recipient was a 47-year-old man diag- yard. He keeps closing and locking the nosed with benign myxoma and car- back door. He says he's afraid of the diomyopathy. water and doesn't know why. He won't The donor's mother reported: talk about it." "Look at her [shows photograph]. My daughter was the picture of health. There wasn't an ounce of fat on her. She was a gym- Case 8 nast and her coach could lift her above his head with one hand. The donor was a 19-year-old woman who had suffered a broken She was so excited about life that she would just hop and jump all neck in dance class. The recipient was a 19-year-old woman the time like a kitten. She had some trouble with food, though. diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. She would skip meals, and for a while she was purging. I think The donor's mother reported: they would call her a little anorexic. We took her to therapy about "We've met Angela [the recipient], and she is the image of our it, but she just wasn't much into food. And she had this silly little daughter [Stacy]. They could almost be twins. They're both giggle when she got embarrassed. It sounded like a little bird." bright girls; I mean, my daughter was bright, too. She wanted to The recipient reported: be an actress, but we thought she had too much academic "I feel new again. I feel like a teenager. I actually feel giddy. I potential for that. Her father is a doctor and really wanted her to know it's just the energy of the new heart, but I really feel younger _ follow in his footsteps." in every way, not just physically. I see the world that way. I'm The donor's father reported: really young at heart. I have this annoying tendency to giggle that "Stacy was extremely bright. It's so tragic. She would have drives my wife nuts. And there's something about food. I don't made an outstanding physician, but she wanted to dance and sing. know what it is. I get hungry, but after I eat I often feel nauseated — That's how she died. She fell in dance class. We always argued and that it would help if I could throw up." good-naturedly about how disappointed I would be if she went to The recipient's brother reported: Hollywood instead of Harvard. I hope she knew I just wanted her "Gus is a teenager. No doubt about that. He's a kid or at least to be happy." e thinks he's a kid. Even when we're bowling, he yells and The recipient reported: jumps around like a fool. He's got this weird laugh now. It's a "I think of her as my sister. I think we must have been sisters in girl's laugh and we tell him that. He doesn't care. His appetite a former life. I only know my donor was a girl my age, but it's never did bounce back after the surgery. He's pretty much nause- more that that. I talk to her at night or when I'm sad. I feel her ated almost all the time. After Thanksgiving dinner—and he answering me. I can feel it in my chest. I put my left hand there oved it—he went upstairs and vomited. We took him to the and press it with my right. It's like I can connect with her. emergency room, but it wasn't anything to do with his new heart. Sometimes she seems sad. I think she wanted to be a nurse or They said it was probably a reaction to something in the meal. something, but other times it's like she wanted to be on Broadway. Case 7 The donor was a three-year-old girl who drowned in the family pool. The recipient was a nine-year-old boy diagnosed with myocarditis and septal defect. The recipient's mother said: "He [the recipient] doesn't know who his donor was or how she died. We do. She drowned at her mother's boyfriend's house. Her mother and her boyfriend left her with a teenage babysitter who was on the phone when it happened. I never met her father, but the mother said they had a very ugly divorce and that the father never saw his daughter. She said she worked a lot of hours and wished she had spent more time with her. I think she feels pretty guilty about it all...you know, the both of them sort of not appreciating their daughter until it was too late." The recipient, who claimed not to know who the donor was, reported: "T tall ta hae on: oT aan faal hae "Also, | hate meat now. I can't stand it. money-maker, and now meat makes me throw up." Case 8 The donor was a 19-year-old woman who had suffered a broken neck in dance class. The recipient was a 19-year-old woman diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. The donor's mother reported: "We've met Angela [the recipient], and she is the image of our daughter [Stacy]. They could almost be twins. They're both bright girls; I mean, my daughter was bright, too. She wanted to be an actress, but we thought she had too much academic potential for that. Her father is a doctor and really wanted her to follow in his footsteps." The donor's father reported: "Stacy was extremely bright. It's so tragic. She would have made an outstanding physician, but she wanted to dance and sing. That's how she died. She fell in dance class. We always argued good-naturedly about how disappointed I would be if she went to Hollywood instead of Harvard. I hope she knew I just wanted her to be happy." The recipient reported: "I think of her as my sister. I think we must have been sisters in a former life. I only know my donor was a girl my age, but it's more that that. I talk to her at night or when I'm sad. I feel her answering me. I can feel it in my chest. I put my left hand there and press it with my right. It's like I can connect with her. Sometimes she seems sad. I think she wanted to be a nurse or something, but other times it's like she wanted to be on Broadway. 30 + NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2005 | was McDonald's biggest www.nexusmagazine.com