"YOU CAN OUTLIVE YOUR HEART A journey of faith, hope and the charity of a selfless donor"

By Dr. Ralph C. Craft

The author recently retired and he and his wife were taking a month-long vacation on the coast in Jekyll Island, Georgia when he fell ill. After a trip to see a local ER physician he under went a cardiac catheterization, an ambulance trip to Florida for for a failed by-pass surgery, a helicopter ride to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and the wait to receive a heart transplant. The author recounts his thoughts on those critical elements of life's importance and the role that prayer played in his survival, especially the Golden Counsels of St. Francis De Sales.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Ralph C. Craft
• Release date: Jul 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310769962

Dr. Ralph C. Craft

Ralph C. Craft retired from the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2005. He held several different positions during his career, including President of the Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation and Director of Corporate Business Planning for the Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation in the United States. Dr. Craft began his career at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as a Professional Sales Representative in 1973 and has held various sales, clinical research and R&D positions within the company.He is a former member of The New York Academy of Sciences, The Society of Research Administrators, and Psi Chi, the National Honor Society for Psychologists. He served in the United States Army from August of 1968 to June of 1970 where he received the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart and is currently a member of the Rhode Island Governor’s Advisory Council for Veterans Affairs.Dr. Craft received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1968 and received a dual Master of Arts degree in Social and Organizational Psychology in 1979, and holds a Doctorate of Business Administration. Topics of his publications have included organizational decision-making, strategic planning and board of director performance focusing on non-profit organizations.

Book preview

YOU CAN OUTLIVE YOUR HEART

A journey of faith, hope and the charity of a selfless donor!

Dr. Ralph Craft

Copyright 2015 Dr. Ralph Craft

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Introduction

Coincidence?

The Wait

The Family – Parental Wisdoms & Directions

Section 1: This Is a Mom-There

Section 2: The Love of My Life

Section 3: Heartache

Section 4: A Half-Century of Thoughts

Faith

On Civil Discourse and Social Media

For Medical Professionals

Friends

Donors

Getting Old

Leaders and Teachers

Patriots

It Will Be Over Sometime

Prologue

About the Author

Acknowledgements

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I have a unique experience – BUT – each and every one of God’s creatures does! I was wounded in Vietnam in 1969 and underwent a heart transplant thirty-six years later. Both times I was close to dying. I can say with certainty that there are no atheists in foxholes! After I received an artificial heart (BIVAD) and was awaiting a donor heart, I was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida and I received hundreds of cards, phone calls and well-wishes from friends and acquaintances. The Catholic priest at the Mayo Clinic told me that in the 5 years he was there, he never had a patient get more cards and he saw 2,000 patients a year! I must admit, this really made me feel good.

I have struggled for years to find a reason that anyone would want to read of my transplant experiences. The reason I am writing this book is simply to share my transplant odyssey and the importance that family and prayer played in my recovery. Of the cards I received many of them were religious. With all due respect to Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf, this became my Little Green Book –the LGB. Ones that struck me as beautiful I put into a one-dollar photo scrapbook from the Dollar Store (below).

I have lent this book to several of my friends who have gone through difficult medical issues. They have told me the prayer book helped them, and I know it comforted me. Some of the prayers I printed from the internet and put in the book, but most came from get-well and Mass cards sent to me.

There is one exception to those from the internet and Get Well cards – and that is the most moving of the writings in my LGB. It is a pamphlet of St. Francis De Sales’ writings, the Golden Counsels. This was given to my father on the day of his conversion and baptism into the Faith (December 3rd 1961) by Sister Mary Ignatius, a Sister of the Visitation who taught both my sisters in high school. If you are suffering, I strongly recommend that you purchase and reflect on St. Francis’ inspiring words. They will comfort you, ease your suffering and give you hope. Remember, Francis