Danny

In the book I mention one of Jimmy's best friends, Danny Foreman, who passed away in 2009 from complications following a simultaneous heart and liver transplant. He was a dear friend.

Last week, we had the pleasure of seeing his family--his Mom and Dad, brother and sisters, his nieces and nephews, his wife, and one of his sons--when they were vacationing in Fort Lauderdale. It was so wonderful to see them again. As I heard laughter burst out of Danny's brother in the hotel lobby, it was so reminiscent of Danny's own exuberant and infectious laugh. It brought back memories, and I couldn't help but smile as I recalled our last encounter...

The last time we saw them all together was when we traveled to Ohio in July of 2008. It was the summer before Danny left us for Heaven, and it was quite divine how plans of our reunion unfolded. 

Danny would occasionally call Jimmy on the phone when he was feeling down, and--from time to time--Danny and I would end up in long, faith-filled conversations about life and the preciousness of it. He truly adored his wife and children and appreciated the love of his family. They meant the world to him.

But while Danny still had hope in his future, I started to detect a sense of desperation in his voice and a mortal fear of his physical reality. After every phone conversation, it became more and more apparent to me that we needed to see him. Madi was young--three years old--and Danny desperately wanted to meet our daughter.  Jimmy needed to spend time with him, too.

One evening that Spring, following one of my "deep" conversations with Danny, Jimmy and I attended Mass at a nearby Catholic church. It was not our home parish, but happens to be in close proximity to us.  That night, the priest delivered a homily about the beauty of life-long friends, and how blessed we are to have them--if we are even lucky enough to have any "real" friends in life.

As his words spoke to my heart and echoed through my head, my gaze veered left. And as my eyes caught focus, I realized that I was staring at a beautiful stained glass panel of a saint with his name spelled out right there in big, bold letters...

Daniel.

It was Daniel.

As my senses of sight and sound came into alignment, I knew that very second what needed to happen. The Holy Spirit had just given me a gift, and I thank God my heart was open to receive it that night.

When we headed for the exit after Mass, as sure as the sun sets, I said to Jimmy, "We are going to Ohio."  He agreed. Finances were tight with a second adoption journey on the horizon, but we knew that Danny couldn't travel since he was on the transplant list.

And so we went.

We had a great trip...such a memorable visit with Danny and his wife, Stephanie. He and Jimmy spent plenty of quality time together laughing and reminiscing about their college days. And Danny thoroughly enjoyed his precious time with Madi.

That was the Summer before he died. Our phone conversations, after that visit, were much different. Danny's tone was much more positive, and his future plans included visits to Florida after his pending transplant. He and his family remained hopeful as they waited for his turn on the list.

If you've read the book, you already know the rest of his story. Danny's transplant took place that winter, but the Lord took him Home to Heaven when his body couldn't adjust to his new organs.

And we named our son, Daniel, after this great friend who enjoyed living life so much. His passion and enthusiasm were unstoppable, and his faith was strong.  

Though Danny wasn't able to meet our Daniel here on Earth, we feel certain that he looks after our son up there in Heaven, and Danny Foreman will always live in our hearts.