The Gift

Donna Ashlock, a 14-years-old girl from California, was very sick. She had a bad heart. "Donna needs a new heart," her doctors said. "She must have a new heart, or she will die soon."

Felipe Garza, 15, was worried about Donna. Felipe was Donna's friend. He liked Donna very much. He liked her freckles, and he liked her smile. Felipe didn't want Donna to die.

Felipe talked to his mother about Donna, "I'm going to die," Felipe told his mother, "and i'm going to give my heart to Donna."

Felipe's mother didn't pay much attention to Felipe, "Felipe is just kidding," she thought. "Felipe is not going to die. He's strong and healthy."

But Felipe was not healthy. He had terrible headaches sometimes."My head really hurts," he often told his friends. Felipe never told his parents about his headaches.

One morning Felipe woke up with a sharp pain on his head. He was dizzy, and he couldn't breathe. The Garzas rushed Felipe to the hospital. Doctors at the hospital had terrible news for the Garzas. "Felipe's brain is dead," the doctors said, "we can't save him."

The Garzas was very sad. But they remembered Felipe's words. "Felipe wanted to give his heart to Donna," they told the doctors.

The doctors did several tests. Then they told the Garzas, "We can give Felipe's heart Donna."

On January 5, 1986, doctors took out Felipe's heart and rushed the heart to Donna. Doctors took out Donna's heart. Then they put Felipe's heart in Donna's chest. In a short time the heart began to beat.

The operation was success. Felipe's heart was beating in Donna's chest. But Donna didn't know it. Her parents and doctors didn't tell her. They waited until she was stronger.

Then they told her about Felipe, "I feel very sad." Donna said, "but I'm thankful to Felipe."

Three months after the operation, Donna Ashlock went back to school. She has to have reguler check ups, and she has to take medicine everyday. But she is living a normal life.

Felipe's brother, John says, "Every time we see Donna, we think of Felipe. She has Felipe's heart in her. That gives us great peace."