Sarah Gilbert- Son was on the Waiting List

My son, Jacob Lee Gilbert, was diagnosed with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy, when he was 18 months old. Through many heart breaking doctors appointments, hospital stays, and tears, Jacob stayed string and happy. Always a smile on such a precious face. After being on the heart transplant list for 16 months, Jacob was removed from the list because the doctors did not feel like he would make it through the surgery due to his declining health. That left us just waiting, knowing that our son would pass away and we didn’t have much time. We spent the rest of Jacob days taking him everywhere he wanted to go and making precious memories. If a heart would have been available for Jacob during that 16 months that he was on the transplant list, then maybe I would be holding my son in my arms today. Instead, I go to a cemetery and sit on a bench that we has made…. and talk to my son and cry. He will always be in our hearts, he will always give us a need to promote organ donation so that maybe one more mommy or daddy, or sister or brother, don’t have to cry themselves to sleep because their is a huge part of them missing.