It’s been a long time coming.
Steve
Chances are that if you’re involved in the transplant community, you’ve stumbled across Steve Ferkau at some point in your life. Whether you’ve connected through his blogging on Revive Hope, a discussion board post on TransplantBuddies.org, joining Kari’s Klimbers (Steve’s Hustle Up the Hancock team that helps raise money for the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago), or out at a local speaking event or registration drive where Steve frequently volunteers time educating the public about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Steve is 48-years-old. He has lived with cystic fibrosis his entire life.
If you know Steve, you know about Kari. Kari is Steve’s donor, who over eight years ago, helped Steve with a second chance at life when her family donated Kari’s organs. After back and forth email exchanges with Steve over the past couple years, I knew we wanted to find a way to convey Steve’s story in a video format. He’s about the most upbeat, motivating man you’ll meet.
Please take a moment to check it out and share with others. Thanks Steve – you do an amazing job of honoring Kari everyday.
-Scott
Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvxpyfZ9Rsk
This site it great! I hope to have a great story like these to share some day. Thank-you for your efforts.
What a beautiful story. Kari is an inspiration and so is Steve! Thanks for sharing Scott.
Hey Scott!!!
You have a wonderful way with words… I think my favorite line is, “If you know Steve, you know about Kari.” We’ve been a package-deal for over eight and a half years, though I didn’t know about her for the first few… When someone thinks about me, I want them to automatically think about Kari.
Thank you for making our story one of those in your powerful series of videos – I’m honored to be a part. It means so much to me to tell the world about Kari – and you helped me do that in a way that will last a very long time.
I’ve had so many people who have read my thoughts on Revive Hope and Transplant Buddies, but have never seen me, or heard me talk about my feelings. You made that happen and I’m so very grateful… And thanks for thinking I do an amazing job honoring Kari. I think about her always.
Love,
Steve
Thanks Melissa and Erin. Steve, it was of course an honor and glad it turned out the way it did.
[...] float which will honor Secretary of State Jesse White as well as Chicago lung transplant recipient Steve Ferkau. At the end of next week, Steve will be heading out to sunny CA (I have no idea why he’d want [...]
Hi Scott
Great Blog!
I greatly appreciate whenever you sign onto to Buddies and share with everyone. Feel free to write about us any ole time. Steve has some wonderful friends.
Thank you for all you do. GREAT WORK!
your txbuddy,
Risa