NARRATOR: There is never a dull moment at the Mersy house. Morgan Mersy is a wife, mother
to 1 year-old Graham and occupational therapist at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. Her life
is full, yet 14 years ago her life almost ended. Morgan had struggled with liver disease
since birth. By the time she was a college freshman, a transplant was desperately needed.
Had it not been for Liz Ayres, Morgan might not have found that liver donor in time. The
experience that lead to Liz helping Morgan get a transplant has bonded these two forever.
LIZ: I believe it was something higher than myself that directed all this.
NARRATOR: What brought the two together was a young man named
Jordan. The 17 year-old was Liz's second cousin,
and he was critically injured in a car accident.
LIZ: He always had a smile, he was very energetic,
he was his brother's best friend, his older brother's best friend. And just a beautiful
child -- I mean, I loved him. He was just, just joyful.
NARRATOR: So Liz visited her
church to pray for her cousin, Jordan, to recover from his accident. At the same time, another
woman also stopped by the same church to pray for Morgan, who needed a liver transplant.
LIZ: We prayed very poignantly for my cousins and for their healing, and we prayed for Morgan
as well, for her to receive healing. I did not realize that she was that sick.
NARRATOR: But Liz did realize she knew Morgan and her family. When it became apparent that Jordan
Jordan would not recover, Liz started down the path of trying to direct a liver donation from
Jordan to help Morgan.
LIZ: I think the whole family thought I was a nut initially, you
know, because you're being a social worker again, you're trying to do something good,
this isn't your... this isn't yours, to do anything with. Including my husband, you know,
everybody was saying, "You just need to stop." But I, again, it was something other than
myself, I could not let it go. We needed to do something.
NARRATOR: As a result, Morgan's
waiting was over. Jordan proved to be a match.
MORGAN: Going into surgery, I just had a calmness
over me. And, like, this is it. This is what we've been waiting for.
NARRATOR: A big reason
for Morgan's calm demeanor was that she had faith and confidence in her doctors at Ohio
State's Wexner Medical Center.
MORGAN: I've had a great experience at Ohio State, and
I've had such a great experience at Ohio State that I actually work there now, so. I love
my transplant team, and I see my surgeon sometimes at work, and stuff like that, in the community,
yes. I had a very great experience at Ohio State.
NARRATOR: Thankful for her second chance, Morgan
was anxious to meet Jordan's family. It took five years before they were ready.
MORGAN: I waited for the time that they wanted to, and then, when we met, Sherry's like, "I don't know
why I didn't meet you sooner." But I mean, everybody goes through things differently.
But, I'm such a visual person -- to see them, and meet them and be connected with them is
just wonderful. Jordan had three brothers, so they said they got their sister that way,
so.
NARRATOR: Morgan shares much of her life with her donor family. They were invited to
Morgan's wedding, and in fact, she carried a locket with Jordan's picture in her bridal
bouquet. She considers her baby a miracle, and honored Jordan at his birth.
MORGAN: When we found out that we were pregnant,
we knew, boy or a girl, that the middle name would
be Jordan. It was like, we knew it. That was just a given.
LIZ: We only have one life.
And Jordan's one life continues to this day, and I see him in her smile, and in the smiles
of her son now. And, you know, just to know that it was all worth it.
NARRATOR: What do you think about that, Morgan? Honestly, your life led to the life of another.
MORGAN: Yes, because of Jordan, I'm here and my son is here.
It's hard to wrap your head around. It is.
NARRATOR: It is. And yet, it does, It works.
MORGAN: Yea. So that's why I need
to let people know about transplantation and thank my donor family every chance I can.
NARRATOR: Organ donation provided that gift of life to Morgan, and now that circle of
life continues and has also provided peace.
LIZ: It helped my family make sense of a very
senseless time.