With a title about courage, you might think that I am going to write about facing fierce enemies, not running from brutal battles, and boldly standing on blood-stained ground in a war.
But, in fact, that’s not where I am headed at all. This story is more about one man’s real courage to step in and donate a portion of his liver to a friend living with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
What is Real Courage
Although I do consider ferocious fighters really brave, most of us will never get a chance to fight in a battle or to go to war.
So what is real courage and what should a person do in order to be considered brave?
Well, it can be hard to know what to do when supporting someone, and Greg Gilmore doesn’t just help Eric Wells, a friend he’s known for years and someone with a shared passion for team sports; he saves his life.
Eric lives with PSC, a chronic, or long-term, disease that slowly damages the bile ducts. PSC advances very slowly. Liver failure may occur 10-15 years after diagnosis, and many people with PSC will ultimately need a liver transplant.
As is such in Eric’s journey.
Real courage is about choosing not to run, not to form false beliefs about the world, and to stand our ground no matter what.
And this is why I am inspired by Grey Gilmore who said, “I had the capability to help someone out in a major way, regardless of how frightening it was.”
The truth is we always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it. Life requires of us to make decisions: this or that, how much, how often, what way, what speed, on and on. These decisions add up to create what we call our experience, our memories, and our life.
Offering to be an organ donor is the ultimate gift of life.
