Stories of Hope
Tony
Organ donation stories weave us together across the country. Tony of Parker, Colo., never would have imagined sharing such a special bond with a woman named Robin who lives in Texas.
When Tony was 25-years-old he had his first heart attack. Then he suffered another one when he was 30. In 2020, Tony was added to the transplant waitlist for a heart. He was told he couldn’t leave the hospital without one. In March 2020, as Coloradans were still in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, Tony received the news he was anxiously awaiting. He was receiving the gift of life.
Donor stories always have a hero. In this story, Robin’s daughter, Sicily, was that heroic donor who saved Tony’s life. He received her heart and kidney. Robin turned the pain of losing her daughter into an opportunity to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation.
“I’m eternally grateful to them and all other donor families,” Tony said. “Thanks to my donor (Sicily) I’m finding joy being able to do simple things that most people take for granted. I’m cooking, grocery shopping and driving my car again. One of the best things though, has been being able to get back to one of my favorite hobbies, drumming. I started drumming in 4th grade and played in marching bands, jazz bands, gospel groups, rock bands and even recorded a few albums. It feels so good to be able to pick it back up again.”
In October 2024, Tony had the honor of playing the drums with a few fellow heart transplant recipients in the Desert Drum Rumble in Phoenix. The annual event raises money for Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers. With every drumbeat, Tony honored the heart that gave him life. The beat of his drum also recognized the mother who said “yes” to donation during the worst moment of her life and raised awareness for other real life organ donor stories in our community.
“It was a great way for us on transplant row to share the message and show our gratitude for our gifts, especially the ability to get back to doing something that we love and has been a part of our lives for so long,” Tony shared.
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