LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A new UK HealthCare project gives organ recipients a chance to anonymously thank those who gave them a second chance at life.
In the halls of UK's Albert B. Chandler Hospital stands a new exhibit filled with handwritten letters.
Each one begins with a simple phrase, "Dear donor."
Each letter is written by someone who underwent an organ transplant at UK HealthCare, anonymously addressed to those who donated their organs to give them a second chance at life.
Every year, an average of 250 people undergo an organ transplantation at UK. 24 years ago, Perryville teacher Gayle Best was one of them.
"Before my transplant, there were days I couldn’t get out of bed and function a daily routine. You gifted me with a liver over twenty years ago, and I feel so blessed," she wrote.
Best discovered her liver had been failing and she was on a waitlist for a transplant for about six weeks before she was able to get one.
Her biggest goal then was to return to her kindergarten classroom.
"That's what I think my calling is, is to teach," she said.
Thanks to a stranger who signed up to be an organ donor, she returned to teach for another 22 years before retiring in 2022.
"I just want to express how thankful I am, and I want to encourage and talk about organ donation to people," Best said. "Every morning, I thank the lord that I can get out of bed."
Best's letter is just one of many on display through the end of June.
Organizers connected with past organ recipients and asked them to share their experiences in time for Donate Life Month.
"Reading the letters, it just gave our team chills. We know our purpose, but it just renews our purpose when we get to read these words," said Elizabeth Powell, outreach manager for the UK Transplant Center.
The project is meant not only to give recipients a chance to give thanks but also a chance for families of organ donors to see how far their loved ones' legacies can go.
You can read more of the 'Dear Donor' letters here.
