I often think of how fortunate I was to get a heart when I did, as I would not be here today otherwise.

I try to live one day at a time and I’m grateful for everyday and I never take anything for granted. It’s such a surreal feeling to know that I was saved. I personally feel an incredible responsibility to really do something special with my life. Then I am confronted with the ‘normal things’ of motherhood and I realize, that of all the giving back, the volunteering, setting up a non-profit and writing a book, that none of it tops or compares to being a mother to my 14-year-old daughter.

Jade has been through so much, watching me almost die. For a child to see their parent become so ill that they are brought to the ICU to say goodbye, changes them. Although we try very hard to pretend at times, that we are just a normal mom and daughter, we are not. Jade said something the other day, when I asked her a question and the tone in her answer, reminded me of how I used to answer my mom, when I was 14. I said, Jade what’s with the attitude? Her answer: “I am a teenager, that is how teenagers are supposed to be. So just remember mom, I love you so much, but we need to keep things right.”

I laughed and we looked at each other and we knew it was important. We will always have the thought in the back of our minds that I could have been gone, but I am not, I am here and my daughter willed me to live. I treasure those normal teenage outrages and I just wanted to remind all you moms out there to be grateful everyday for the normal high and lows of having teenage children. They will always be our babies.