Organ donation and transplant awareness are very special issues to Michele and her husband Jerry, who is a liver transplant recepient himself, and extremely grateful for this gift of life.

April is National Donate Life Month!!

The gift of life is a beautiful thing, whether you are the giver or the receiver.  Many of us donate blood to help those in need, but have probably not though of becoming an organ donor.  Thousands of people die everyday waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, and here in New Hampshire it is even more difficult, due to a very limited number of transplant facilities nearby and limited availability of donors.

Jerry and Michele Wiggs are well aware of the medical, logistical, emotional and financial ramifications of an organ transplant.  Multiply that by 2 and you are describing their lives during the past several years.  Jerry needed a sudden liver transplant in June 2005, and fortunately found about the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Lack of scheduling and availability in the New England area left little chance of lifesaving treatment in New England.  When bile duct problems caused that liver to fail within a year, after many medical trips back to Florida, and hospital stays in New Hampshire, he needed a second transplant, also performed at Mayo Clinic, which is working beautifully, in large part due to the wonderful support of his doctors and nurses  there, and at Dartmouth Hitchcock and VA White River.

Without the difficult decision of the donor families involved, Jerry would not be here today.  His survival is a tribute to the gift of life given by those families.  More lives in the New England area could be saved if more people would  consider becoming an organ donor.  There are currently about 95,000 on transplant waiting lists, and not enough of us realize it is as simple as marking on your driver's license that you are willing to give this precious gift. Let your family know your wishes, too.  Though a difficult decision for them it can sometimes help ease the pain of losing a loved one, by knowing that they continue to give. 

Another obstacle to receiving a transplant can be financial.  Pre and post transplant expenses can devastate a family.  There are non profit groups who will help you with these expenses, and divine inspirations is making a pledge to donate a percentage of merchandise sales for the month of April to help those families in need.  We encourage other businesses to do the same. To learn more about organ donation, visit the website of United Network for Organ Sharing at www.unos.org  or Donate Life America at www.donatelife.net .

Any pre or post transplant patients and families interested in forming a support group in the central or northern New Hampshire area are invited to contact Jerry and Michele at mwiggsjbs@aol.com

.Organ donor t-shirts available in Large or Extra Large for $10 plus $5 shipping, may be paid for thru paypal - combined shipping offered.

Shoulder bags, made of recycled vintage fabrics, fully lined, and embroidered with our special recycle yourself design, in your choice of green or yellow barkcloth,]

$25, plus $5 shipping

Reconstructed, reversible quilted jackets and vests - very popular! These are made from new quilted comforters, and are available in vests ($50) or jackets, ($100 sizes S, M and L, and $120 for Extra Large). Shipping is $10 each. Following are some of the available offerings now:

We also have some great purses also "reconstructed" from all new materials - check them out! Priced at $30 each, plus $5 shipping, fully lined.