ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS

16. HEART HAS MEMORY

 ❤︎ Anjali ❤︎

She continues her explanation of what triggered her to pursue this research.

"Last year, I was at a medical conference in LA, and I happened to sit right next to a doctor from the University of Honolulu. He started to ask me some questions about the patients after the heart implant. He was particularly interested in me because I specialize in heart implants."

"Then he began to explain to me his theory and the book he wrote. It was so shocking, yet it made sense because I had heard similar stories from my patients. What he told me was eye-opening."

"He said he collected many incidents of heart recipients who were receiving the donor's memories, food preferences, music preferences, feelings, and fear through heart implants. These stories are like what you just told me. They are very similar."

Dr. Waxman continued to tell me about a woman who got the heart of a boxer after the implant. Before the surgery, she had a tranquil and demure personality. She absolutely hated violence. When her husband was watching a football game, she walked out of the living room.

After the operation, she started to watch, yell, and swear while watching football with her husband. Her character completely changed as if she picked up the boxer's character.

The next story she told was about two girls. An eight-year-old received the heart of a ten-year-old murder victim. After the successful heart transplant surgery, this young girl began to have recurring nightmares.

In these dreams, she saw the donor being murdered by a man. The details she described the murder were so specific and to the point. This information was passed on to the police. Because of her detailed description, the suspect was caught and brought to be prosecuted.

How could she have known about the suspect unless the donor's heart had the memory? Was this young girl picking up the information through the organ transplant?

The third story was about a man who had a dramatic change in how he saw his life. He was a successful and hardworking businessman before, but he didn't have any other passion in his life.

After the surgery, he felt a completely new personality drove him. He put his business aside, and he started cycling. He also avidly started to work out and swim. Within months, he was transformed into an athlete.

One year later, when he met the donor's family, he discovered that he developed parallel interests with his donor. The donor was a good-looking Hollywood stuntman and a top-notch athlete. The recipient was so convinced that he inherited many of these character traits through his donor's heart.

Another striking report was of a seventeen-year-old black student, the victim of a drive-by shooting whose heart was implanted in a forty-seven-year-old white foundry worker.

The student was walking to his violin lesson when he was shot. He died almost instantly on the street, hugging his violin case. He loved playing classical music, and his teacher said he had a natural talent for the violin.

The recipient had trouble accepting the fact that the donor was black. He wasn't a racist, and most of his coworkers were black. He didn't think it was right that a white man had a black man's heart.

Before the transplant, he said he hated classical music. Now, he loves it. His wife said that he invited his black coworkers for dinner at his house for the first time. Now, he doesn't see color anymore. He drives his wife nuts because he listens to classical music for hours, and he even whistles some musical pieces that he doesn't know. How could he know the music that he has never listened to before?

The last case Dr. Waxman told me about was an eighteen-year-old boy killed in a car accident. The recipient was an eighteen-year-old girl. The donor loved to write poetry and play music. After he died, his parents waited for more than a year before cleaning out his room. They found a book of poems he had never shown them.

In one of the poems, he spoke of seeing his own death. The name of the poem was "Jade. My Heart Is Yours." It described his death and how he would leave his heart to someone.

When the donor's parents and the recipient finally met, his parents showed their son's photos. The recipient could tell who the boy was in every picture, even before they told her. She could also finish phrases from the songs he wrote. Above all, the recipient's name was Jade, the same as his song's title.

After participating in the doctor's research, I feel that I finally found my calling in life. I want to study medical science as Dr. Waxman does. I don't know if I can become a surgeon, but I am certain that this is what I want to do.

My life changed greatly after the surgery, and I am willing to give back the gift I was given to anyone who needs my help. The best way I can do this is through medicine. So the next time I went to see the doctor, I told her what I finally decided to do.

"Dr. Waxman, I want to become a surgeon like you. I know that it is an extremely competitive and difficult profession. I am willing to sacrifice everything I have to become one because you gave me a second chance."

"I want to be able to do that for others. This is my way of giving back what I received. So I decided to apply for medical science at Colombia University. I have sufficient grades to satisfy the requirement in Colombia."

"I need to ask you a favor. I would like you to write me a recommendation letter for why I deserve to study medical science in Colombia. I think you know more than anyone why I need to study there. Would you do that for me?"

I wasn't ready to accept no for an answer. This is another change in my character. I was a very timid girl. Now, once I know what I want, I just go for it.

Dr. Waxman smiled and told me what she would do.

"I see that you are pretty determined. I like to see someone who won't take no for an answer. I also see that you have the right reason to study as well."

"Anjali, I would be happy to write you a recommendation. I am very honored that you asked me."

Then she hugged me in her arms. Before leaving her office, the doctor made a suggestion I loved.

"Once you become a freshman, maybe you can work for me as an assistant and help me organize all the data from the patients."

My new heart helped me find my calling. When you are in doubt, please listen to your heart. It will intuitively guide you in the right direction.

Don't think, just feel!