A year ago, David Edmondson couldn’t walk 20 feet without losing his breath and having to sit down.
On Wednesday, Edmondson, who lives in Amherst, raced student Monique Jones down a hallway at Liberty University. And he won.
Jones challenged him to the short race after hearing him tell his story during the first day of a two-day donor drive at Liberty University this week.
On June 22, 2008, Edmondson had a heart transplant. Edmondson, who suffered from congestive heart failure, had been given only three to five years to live if no donor was found. After more than a year on a national waiting list, his prayers were answered and he received his heart.
Almost eight months after the transplant at UVa Medical Center, Edmondson is back on his feet and doing well with his second chance at life. He describes the difference between his life before the transplant and after as “night and day.”
Edmondson does not know his donor’s name but has exchanged letters with the family. They told him that the donor had personally made the decision to become an organ donor.
“I’ll never meet the person who saved my life but somebody talked to them about organ donation and that decision saved my life,” he said.
To give back, Edmondson is actively working with LifeNet Health, the nonprofit organ and tissue donation agency in Virginia, which sponsored the donor drive at Liberty along with the Red Cross.
Wednesday and Thursday, he wore a nametag that read, “Hi, I’m David. Dec. 5 and June 22 are both my birthday. Ask me why.”
“If it doesn’t touch you personally, it’s hard to comprehend it,” said Edmondson.
According to Dena Reynolds of LifeNet Health, there are currently more than 100,000 people who are on the national organ donor waiting list, 2,500 in Virginia. Without finding a donor, 18 people die every day waiting for a life-saving organ.
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