I was given this heart by my therapist. A number of them had been left in her waiting room and knowing I couldn’t see them there, she had chosen this one for me.
The organization responsible for these hearts is The Peyton Heart Project, The name on mine is Sean Michael Flynn and he committed suicide at the age of 18. I googled him and found his obituary. There, in his red cap and gown, a smiling graduate with his whole life ahead of him. Three months after that moment was captured he was gone.
I don’t pretend to know his experience or what caused him to take his own life. I do know that after it became clear that my sight would not be fully restored I asked myself over and over: Can I live the rest of my life like this? I voiced this to those closest to me. This question never led to a plan, it never went any further. But it stayed with me for a long time until one day it was gone.
I’ve hung the heart and tag on the electronic magnifier I use to read. It reminds me every day of this young man whose heart now has a place in mine.
To find out more about The Peyton Heart Project, click here.
