She Gave My Heart To A Stranger

The annual St. Judes Medical Center Donor Appreciation Gala was supposed to be a night of champagne toasts and polite applause. Instead, it became the place where my world shattered.
Dr. Thompson, the Chief of Staff, beamed from the podium.
Dr. Eleanor Stone is truly the epitome of altruism, he announced, his voice ringing through the ballroom. To personally coordinate with the Organ Distribution Center, ensuring her daughters perfectly matched donor heart went to a financially struggling young man Its a lesson in what it means to be a healer.
I was still innocent enough to try to defend her.
Dr. Thompson, I said, my voice barely a breath. My mother is meticulous about procedure. She would never pull strings for a patient to jump the list.
My disbelief seemed to shock him.
But didn't she clear it with you? The recipient was a perfect match, same as yours, just behind you on the registry. Dr. Stone personally went to bat for him.
She said her own daughter, you, could afford to wait. That the other boys family was about to lose their low-income housing, that his life was literally burning through their last few pennies.
I slowly turned to face my parents.
My mother, Eleanor, gripped her champagne flute like a weapon.
Scarlett, that childs family is absolutely destitute. They couldnt wait any longer, she pleaded.
Its different for you. Your father and I are doctors. We wouldnt let anything happen to you.
Anger, sharp and hot, instantly incinerated my logic. Tears spilled over.
I see! So being your daughter means I dont even qualify for fair treatment on a waiting list! I choked out. Maybe I should have been an orphan then. Then I could have had my surgery, too, right? Maybe even gotten the heart you stole!
1
I turned to leave, but Dad, Dr. David Stone, blocked my path.
Scarlett, what is this attitude? Do you know what your mother sacrificed, the time she poured into Finn? If he doesnt get that heart, he wont make it to his nineteenth birthday!
I stared at my father, dumbfounded.
So this was it. My life was so cheap to them.
They were only afraid a penniless student would die in their ward and tarnish the hospitals reputation.
Mom tried to grab me. Leaving in the middle of this is inappropriate! Well discuss this at home.
Colleagues whod heard the commotion crowded around, half-begging, half-forcing me back into my seat.
The fear and resentment Id repressed for two years finally erupted.
Gasping, I pointed at Mom, my voice raw and broken. He cant wait? Do you think I can? Just because hes poor, hes pitiable, and hes your public relations poster child, he gets to jump the line? He gets you to pull strings to snatch my heart?!
What about me! Im your daughter! Im only twenty-four! I havent graduated, I havent seen the Rockies or the Atlantic! Tell me, what part of me is less deserving of life than him?
Just because you gave birth to me, I deserve to stand behind everyone else? I deserve to die for your damned Principle of Avoiding Suspicion?
The collapsing shriek echoed in the silent hall.
Mom trembled with rage, her hand raised as if to strike me, but she slammed it onto the table instead.
Thats enough! You are out of line! Apologize to Finn OMalley immediately! Do you have any idea how much psychological stress these comments will put on his recovery?
Finns mother, Maureen, fell to her knees with a thud, bowing her head to the floor.
Oh, my sweet girl, Im so sorry, forgive us Weve dragged Dr. Stone into this, weve stolen your chance Please, hit me, scream at me, but dont blame her. Shes a saint, an absolute saint!
The whole scene was an absurd nightmare.
And I, apparently, was the petulant brat in the dream.
I watched Mom rush over to help the dark, thin woman up.
I saw the undisguised disappointment on her face.
I laughed then, tears streaming down my face as I did.
Fine. Fine He is your patient, your responsibility, your salvation.
And me? What am I?
I looked at Dad. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he remained silent.
You wont touch your savings for my treatmentunder the beautiful principle that the hospital must not play favorites, must not accept gifts.
The truth is, you never planned for me to live at all. You were just waiting to use my donor for someone elses son!
When I was queuing for my own surgery, I hadnt even dared to ask for a private room, terrified of the gossip.
Yet for someone else, she could leverage years of professional connections to steal the lifeline that should have been mine!
I pushed away the hands trying to hold me, ignored the familiar, sharp pang in my chest, and walked toward the elevator.
From today forward, whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. Just go back to protecting your Hippocratic Oath, and your patients who are more worthy of being saved!
Behind me, I heard Moms furious shout, Dads anxious cry, and the strangled sobs of Finns mother.
The elevator door slid shut, cutting off the noise.
I took a cab back to the university.
My phone vibrated ceaselessly the entire ride, a flood of missed calls and messages.
The first was from Mom:
Mom (Eleanor): Scarlett, you embarrassed me tonight. That boy is barely nineteen, and his family is on welfare. We had to do this. He had nothing. You're our daughter, you need to be the bigger person.
Scrolling down, there was Dads:
Dad (David): Scarlett, Finn is different. He's alone. He's already attempted suicide twice since his diagnosis. Your mother couldn't just stand by!
Dad (David): Youve created a scandal. The whole hospital knows now. How do you expect your mother to lead her department? Come home and apologize!
I deleted the rest without reading them.
When my roommates learned what happened, they were furious on my behalf.
My nose started to sting. Strangers could feel sympathy for my plight.
Why did my own parents insist on making me feel like a burden?
I stayed at school for two days. The moment I turned my phone on, I accidentally answered a call from Uncle George, my mothers brother.
Scarlett, how could you be so difficult? Youve upset your parents terribly. Running away from home?
Im not trying to lecture you, but youre breaking your mothers heart. Shes a doctor, its her calling to save lives. How can you blame her for this?
He droned on about Moms sacrifices.
Your mother just saw a vulnerable child and wanted to save his life. As her daughter, you should be supporting her.
I waited until he paused, shaking my head to reassure my worried roommate.
Uncle Georges voice grew quieter.
Uncle George, do you remember what the specialist said when I was diagnosed at twelve?
I I remember.
I cut him off. The doctor said twenty-four was my absolute limit for the surgery.
Im halfway through twenty-four now.
He went silent.
I waited twelve years, Uncle. I finally got a 92% match, and my own mother, my biological mother, personally diverted it to someone else.
For her, the Hippocratic Oath is a higher priority than her daughters survival.
If I, her daughter, have to be careful to avoid suspicion, why doesnt the patient she saved need to? Thats what they call virtue, I suppose.
My voice dripped with sarcasm.
Mom has helped many needy patients, but Finn was her biggest personal investment.
To him, she was the compassionate Dr. Stone, the Most Beautiful Doctor plastered all over the local news.
But to me, she was a failure of a mother.
A persons heart is only so big. If its filled up with patients, how much room is left for family?
Uncle George stammered in defense. Your mother is just doing her duty. You should understand her the most
A sharp pain clenched my heart. I pulled out my pill bottle and swallowed two tablets.
Uncle, do you know why my mother never let me visit her department?
Why?
She was terrified of the opticsof colleagues saying she was abusing her power, of patients thinking she was prioritizing her own child. So my medical records are at a different hospital. My primary doctor doesnt even know Im Dr. Stones daughter.
Finns surgery, however? She performed it herself. She will personally follow up on every one of his post-op scans.
Tell me, Uncle. Who looks more like her biological child?
The line went quiet, only his breathing audible.
After a long moment, he spoke again. Dont talk like that, Scarlett. Your mother does care about you
Where is my place then? On which page of the transplant waiting list? What number room on her daily rounds?
I am her daughter, yet I cant even receive fair access to medical care. Why? If being someone elses child is the only way to get a break, then Id rather have no connection to this family at all!
The voice on the other end changed.
It was Mom. She had been listening the whole time.
Scarlett, can you not see the bigger picture? Finn genuinely couldnt wait any longer!
I countered, And me? How long do I have? When will the next matching donor appear? A year? Two? Five?
You
As a hospital administrator, you know better than anyone how scarce heart donors are. The average wait time is 3.8 years. Ive already waited twelve.
Moms voice was still unnervingly calm. Medical resources are finite. They must be allocated to the most critically urgent patient first.
I nodded. I know. Youre the department head, Dads an administrator. Your professional ethics, your medical resourcesyou can give them to whomever you like.
Then my life, my choices, are mine to make, too.
I hung up and powered down the phone.
With my transplant opportunity stolen, I was forced back onto the waiting list.
But my condition wasn't waiting. The symptoms of heart failure were growing more severe.
My doctor suggested an implanted cardiac assist device.
The cost was astronomical. Even after insurance, I would have to pay a six-figure sum out of pocket.
Id intended to ask my parents for a loan, but they would rather pull strings to steal a heart for a patient than break their own rules to save their daughter.
I had to figure it out myself.
My academic advisor, worried I was an unstable presence, asked if I wanted to take another leave of absence.
I moved out instead.
Short on cash, I could only afford a room in a dilapidated, multi-tenant complex in a forgotten corner of the city.
A young woman in the building took pity on me and offered to let me join her streaming business, selling goods online.
I began working frantically, desperate to earn enough money to survive.
A month later, my parents saw me online.
They found me in the dingy complex, blocking my path.
Moms eyes were red-rimmed. How could you how could you possibly live in this dump?
Your health is fragile. Come back to the hospital with us immediately.
I looked at her with cold eyes. My phone buzzedit was time to start my stream. I tried to walk past them.
Dad grabbed my arm, his face tight with disgust.
We spent all those years raising you for this? To do this cheap, degrading work?
You might not be ashamed, but if this gets back to my colleagues, well be a laughingstock!
Of course. They never cared about me. Only their reputation.
I yanked my arm away. Whats shameful about earning money with my own two hands?
Theres no such thing as degrading work. Do you think being a doctor makes you superior?
I stepped closer to Dad. Right. Of course. After all, the heart of a healer is so noble that youre willing to abandon your own daughter. You must be high and mighty!
Moms eyes grew frantic. Your father and I came here to take you back for treatment! Stop this stubbornness. Ive found the next donor
What for? So I can be the one accused of being a black-market beneficiary? I interrupted impatiently.
Dont worry. Ill avoid suspicion for youuntil the day I die!
I turned away. A neighbor and her large dog brushed past me.
Mom screamed about the dogs germs.
The dog, startled by the noise, lunged at me.
Watch out!
The piercing cry came as I fell down the short flight of steps.
The dog bit me.
My heart rate soared, and my vision swam.
I fumbled in my bag for my pills and swallowed them.
Mom frantically snatched the bottle. You cant take this cheap medicine! Do you know how much damage it does to your body?
Leaning against the wall, I drew a shaky breath.
Its cheap. And it works fast.
I needed the pills to suppress the chest pain through countless late-night streams.
Tears suddenly spilled from Moms eyes.
Im calling an ambulance right now! Ill take you to our hospital.
I took a deep breath.
No need! Just pay for my rabies shots. I have to stream now.
Dad erupted in fury.
At a time like this, youre still thinking about work! Is that job more important than your life?
He pulled my sleeve, tearing my cheap shirt. I shouted back, louder than he had.
Yes! Because I dont have the money for a cardiac assist device! Because my parents would rather use their connections to steal a donor heart for a stranger than pay for my medical bills!
What else am I supposed to do but kill myself working to survive? This stream is the best job I can find in my condition! You look down on it, but at least it feeds me!
Dad froze.
The neighbor, witnessing the whole spectacle, gave me an extra thirty dollars for 'nutrition.'
Dad looked at her, his expression saying everything.
My parents stood frozen, a complex mix of emotions crossing their faces.
For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flash of genuine guilt in their eyes.
I struggled to my feet, limped inside, and locked the door, shutting them out.
My stream didnt end until the early morning.
A colleague went out for food and came back to tell me my parents were still waiting by the door.
Scarlett, you cant eat this junk food with your heart condition! You need nutrition!
Come on, come home with Mom. Ill make you chicken soup.
Mom stared intensely at the pre-packaged meal in my hand, her voice choked.
Even Dads tone was softer. Your mother and I were wrong about what happened before. Well find a way to get you the surgery sooner. Dont be stubborn anymore.
I burst out laughing. Did I have such a great life when I was home?
You were always too busy with work. I dont think Ive had one proper, home-cooked meal in years. Ive eaten frozen junk food for so long, and now youre worried about my nutrition?
My parents flushed a deep red. This time, it was shame.
They must have remembered how much theyd neglected me.
Mom tried to speak several times, but no words came out.
Impatient, I shooed them away. If you genuinely care about me, then just disappear!
Because right now, looking at you both makes me sick!
Under the dim streetlights, their shadows stretched long and weary.
But I refused to look back.
Not long after, I saw Mom on the local news.
Finn OMalley, the student, was sobbing as he thanked her, calling her his second mother.
Tears in her eyes, Mom said, Its just my duty as a healer.
Her hospitals prestige soared, and Mom was promoted yet again.
She got what she wanted, I thought.
And I, apparently, was no longer of any use.
But then, I received a text from her.
Mom (Eleanor): Scarlett, the hospital has scheduled your surgery. Please don't be afraid. This time, I promise your mother will save you.
All the documents were clearly marked.
The Chief of Staff, Dr. Thompson, even called to say Mom had pulled every last string she had for me.
I thought about it for a long time, then decided to go to the hospital.
I didn't need to play games with my own life.
This was what I deserved.
When I arrived at the inpatient ward, the people waiting for me weren't the surgeons.
It was the two people I least wanted to see: Finn and his mother.
I immediately looked at Dad.
He looked guilty, lowering his eyes, but he gripped my arm and forced me to sit down.
Finn has felt terrible about everything, he wants to apologize personally.
Honestly, without this little trick, we didnt know how else to get you back here.
The air thickened, turning to glass.
I could barely believe it. My throat was dry.
So, the surgery is a lie? This was all just to get me to deal with your poor little patient?
Finn stood up to smooth things over.
Scarlett, Dr. Stone saved my life, but it hurt yours. Its not her fault, its mine. I owe you an apology.
He knelt before me, instantly setting me on fire with misplaced morality.
Mom looked at me with open disappointment.
Look how understanding Finn is. Unlike you, throwing a tantrum at every turn. Let this go. You need to help Finn, too. He came from nothing. He has a long anti-rejection therapy ahead of him. Its not easy.
Dad quickly chimed in, talking about how poor and how hard-fought Finns survival was.
I listened and started to laugh.
I placed my own medical records and overdue bills in front of them.
Im not doing so great either. The hospital says if I dont get surgery soon, Im genuinely going to die.
Finn, since you feel so bad, why dont you show it with a concrete action? Like giving the heart back?
Mom slammed her hand on the table, furious.
Running away from home is one thing, but now youre forging medical records to trick us?
How can you be so malicious? Finn hasnt even fully recovered, and you want to snatch his heart away?
I laughed until I almost cried. She hadnt followed my condition at all.
Even her tears in the tenement complex were just crocodile tears.
I have no choice, do I? My parents have the money and connections to steal a donor heart for someone else, but they sacrifice their own daughters life to do it.
And if I die, both of your careers are finished. Utterly ruined!
I looked at Mom with contempt.
I just dont understand. You can pour your heart and soul into a stranger, but you can be this ruthless to your own child.
I used to think you were a woman of principle. Seeing what you did for Finn, I realize youre just a hypocrite.
My mother is nothing but a self-serving fraud!
I had figured out why Mom was so obsessed with saving Finn.
She was running for Vice Chief of Staff next year. She needed the political capital.
Saving a poor student from a single-parent, welfare-dependent family? What incredible publicity.
During this crucial period, she couldn't dare prioritize my surgery. It would be called nepotism and ruin her candidacy.
But that heart was mine by sequence!
In this calculation, she gained a promotion, Finn gained a new life.
Only I, like a fool, was sacrificed.
Now I couldnt even afford my medicine.
I pulled out my phone and opened the camera.
Since you care so much about the needy student, how about you adopt him right now, on a live stream, in front of the whole internet? That will surely secure your promotion.
As for me, Ill publicly disown you. You wont have to worry about the burden of suspicion anymore!

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