lung xraySometimes it's important to remember that for every horrible story we hear about horrible parents doing horrible things to their children, there's an equally amazing story about amazing parents doing amazing things for their children. Like the mom and dad in Germany whose 12-year-old son Mari was dying of cystic fibrosis. Hooked up to a ventilator and a heart-lung machine in April, the boy was in desperate need of a double-lung transplant, but doctors couldn't find a suitable donor.

Until mom and dad made a big decision ...

After discovering that both parents had compatible blood types and lungs larger than their son's (which is a requirement in these cases), Mari's mother and father went 50/50 to save his life: Each parent sacrificed a lung.

Can you imagine?! Of course, if you're a parent, you can -- and you would probably do the same thing for your kid if you could (I know I would!). But there's something particularly poetic and heartwrenching about this story: 1 lung from mom + 1 lung from dad = 2 healthy lungs, and a much healthier Mari. The 12-year-old had to spend 155 days in the hospital recovering from the transplant (both mom and dad were apparently back on their feet in no time), but his "prognosis and quality of life" are reportedly "much improved."

I hope and pray that this family enjoys good health for many, many years to come. May every breath they take be deep, clear, and joyful!

Would you give up a lung for your child?

 

Image via Yale Rosen/Flickr