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One life is given to save another


(12/30/2008) By Dennis Kellogg - The worst experience for a parent has to be losing a child. One David City couple has lived through that experience. Ever since, they have been reaching out to others who are in need of help.

2–year–old Matthew Bemis meant the world to his mom and dad. In a few short moments, on the shore of a Nebraska lake 24 years ago, Janet and Milt Bemis saw their world crumble.

"Janet was standing there crying and screaming and I looked down at the dock and she cried, 'They found him.' And I saw them giving him C.P.R," said father Milt Bemis.

After being pulled from the lake that he had fallen into, little Matthew was rushed to the hospital.

"The tests were showing he was not going to be with us. And medication was eventually going to fail and we knew we were going to lose Matthew," mother Janet Bemis said.

As Janet sat in a hospital room in Nebraska holding her dying child, in California, at another hospital, a little girl named Lilly was also days away from death. Yet, Matthew would hold the key to her survival.

"Janet was rocking him, holding him and rocking him," Milt said.

"He had all his tubes in and I do not know what made me think of it," said Janet.

"And she looked up at me and she said..." said Milt.

"'Do you think we could...' And I stopped," Janet said. "I could not continue."

"And then she stopped and I said, 'Donate?'" said Milt.

"And I said, 'Yes.' We had never discussed donation before," Janet said.

Janet and Milt did not know it at the time, but Matthew's liver would be flown to the UCLA Medical Center, where a little girl Lilly was waiting.

"Her liver was so full of non–cancerous tumors that she could not function. Her lungs could not work and her heart had stopped to the point there was nothing else they could do," said Milt.

Matthew's liver was a perfect match and the transplant was successful. Lilly went from near death to full of life. Janet and Milt watched her from a distance as she grew up, knowing Matthew's death gave Lilly a second chance at life.

"One thing her mother told us later is, I never thought I would see my child go to kindergarden, and she did," said Janet. "I never thought I would see my child join a band in high school, and she did. I saw her graduate from high school, and she did. I never thought I would see her graduate from college and she did. I never thought I would see her get married, and she did."

And when Lilly got married earlier this year, Janet and Milt were there. The date Lilly chose for her wedding was August 8th.

"And that was a very significant day because August 8th is the day we lost Matthew. August 8th is the day she received his liver and what she calls her "second birthday." And that was the day. So a wedding on that date, again, great mixed emotions. Always thinking of Matthew, but any tears we had were tears of joy because it was Lilly's special day," Milt said.

Now, Milt and Janet are looking forward to another special day. Matthew has been chosen to be one of 36 donors honored on a special float in the Rose Bowl Parade in California on New Years Day. Milt and Janet have already helped paint his portrait that will be displayed on the float. And riding on that float, will be Lilly. No one will be cheering more loudly as it passes by than Matthew's parents.

"We are going to be waving hard and I cannot wait. Like I said, there will be some tears flowing, but it is going to be a wonderful, wonderful celebration of Matthew's life," said Milt.

"Our faith has carried us through. We know we did the right thing and to see Lilly again and riding on that float is going to be a wonderful experience," Janet said.

24 years ago, Janet and Milt Bemis watched their world crumble. 24 years later, they know firsthand what good can come from the most tragic of circumstances. Matthew's is gone, but he also lives on. That is worth celebrating.

The Donate Life float will be in the last third of the Rose Bowl Parade, which you can watch it on KHAS–TV Thursday morning.

Visit http://www.Donatelifefloat.org to see the float and read stories of those being honored. Or visit http://www.nedonation.org to learn how you can become an organ donor in Nebraska.

Attached Files: 1230HEART.jpg 


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