UPDATE:  Right before Christmas 2023 The Gift of Life organization that handles transplant donors and recipients finally decided that the family of my for and I could personally communicate with each other. We had filled out 2 sets of forms asking to be able to talk. This took too long. I finally know who gave me life! His name is Neal. I'll keep the last name private. 

He has three young adult children. His death was sudden and unexpected after having severe pain in his head. I had a long talk with their mother Connie who told me about Neal and his children. Two of his children are musicians, one who has released albums. Best of all, except for one son, they live only a two hour drive from me in Pa. This connection has made all of us happy. Neal lives on in me. There is so much that never would have happened without this gift of life to me.
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Ten years ago I had a liver transplant. They never tell you who donated it because of privacy issues but you can write a letter and give it to your transplant co-ordinator to pass on to them and they can contact you if they want to. I didn't do that. The first couple years were touch and go for me and I was in and out of the hospital quite a bit. The years that followed were rough. The medicine I have to take causes cancer and I had more surgeries for that. Liver disease caused my bones to be brittle and I've broken quite a few. But about a year ago my drs said that whatever I die from it won't be my liver. It is functioning very well. The man who gave me his liver has a family. Hopefully their grieving causes them less pain. I wanted to write music for him, for them that expressed my emotions at having ten years of life I came close to not having. My doctors told me I would not have lived another two weeks before I would have gone into a coma. I would have missed my grandchildren growing up and three great grandbabies being born and a fourth on it's way.  I would have not recorded 100 pieces of music as my legacy to future generations. Not a day has gone by that I have not thought about this man. He checked the box 'organ donor' on his drivers license. We rarely know when the end is coming. We need to appreciate every day we have. If he could only now see through my eyes. ❤️

If You Could See Through My Eyes

My music pieces are all piano improvisations expressing emotions. It is music telling stories without the words. In my earIy years I sang and played piano in piano bars or fronted bands  I've been composing, teaching and performing most of my life.  I'm getting old(er) now 😔 but the great thing about creating music is it gets better the longer you play, and you have more to write about! 

This is what I leave of me to my generations to come who wonder where their desire to make music comes from. My mother also played. I learned recently that my grandmother and great grandmother were both accomplished pianists when they were young. My great grandmother sang and danced in minstrel shows in the early 1900's. I know have great-grandchildren. They will know who I am through my music. When I am gone my music will still be here. What a wonderful thought!

If You Could See Through My Eyes

Sonni Quick