Jessica Foster
Staff WriterPatti and Frank Funni never planned on traveling to Texas earlier this year. With camper in tow, they were merely looking to escape a cold Minnesota winter. They considered going to Florida or Arizona to enjoy some warmth and sunshine.
The Scandia couple never even considered their winter getaway would transform into the journey for a miracleóthe journey for new life, new beginnings and a face to face meeting with the people whose loss meant their gain.
In Joshuaís Garden, the Funnis came face to face with the parents of the 10-year-old boy, Joshua, who lost his life in a car crash but gave life to the Funni family via organ donation.
ìMy life has changed because of their gift,î Patti said in a recent interview. ìThat meeting was so powerful and life changing for them. They gave me 20 years of life and I think, with that meeting, we gave them a new life.î
She is protective of the Texas family who has become a part of her own. She hesitates to give their names. Adding to the pain and loss, even in the slightest bit, is not an option.
ìMy whole life, the joy of everyday living, is at such a cost to them,î she explained.
After her transplant surgery, the Funni family received considerable media attention, including in Guideposts Magazine.
Letters from around the nation and the world began to arrive at the Funni home, offering support, prayers and hope.
Joshuaís family read the article in Guideposts, an award winning entry by the Funniís daughter, Michelle.
Over the years, the families had been exchanging Christmas cards. They never had discussed the possibility of meeting or taken the relationship to a deeper level.
That changed last February in Texas.
They found themselves near the town of Joshuaís family. They were drawn to the garden Joshuaís brother made as an Eagle Scout project. Still, they hesitated to intrude on the family.
A string of events led to the familyís coming face to face. At Joshuaís Garden, the boyís parents were able to see the life that their sonís granted.
ìIt (the meeting) was so unplanned, so unexpected. It just happened,î Patti said. ìWe thank God each day for the gift of life.î
Beginnings
In 1984, Patti and her family hoped and prayed for even a year of good life.
In the 1970s, the mother of four was suffering from an illness which took away her energy, her health and the vivaciousness that personifies her personality.
She was suffering from Primary Biliary Sclerosis, a diseased liver.
Her daughter, Michelle Mahnke, recalls in 1984 how her mother had been in and out of hospitals 10 years and had little hope of witnessing milestones in her childrenís lives.
ìThat January, a new phase of her progressive illness began. Her sternum suddenly snapped. Weeks later, four vertebrae in her back broke. She was in extreme pain for months.
ìShe slept on the couch day and night. To get herself to the bathroom, she crawled very slowly, crying with pain until she reached the couch again. By summer she broke two ribs. A third rib broke when a friend gave her a hug to cheer her,î Mahnke said.
At that time, bone density scans gauged Funniís bones to be the quality of an 80-year-old woman with osteoporosis. She was jaundiced, shrunk in height and weighed a scant 84 pounds.
She got the transplant at the University of Minnesotaóone other adult had survived the then new transplant there. She had a 50-50 chance to live, Mahnke recalls. But, she was told, it was transplant or death.
Two decades after her transplant, Patti appears to be in top health, is active and involved with her family, children and 15 grandchildren. She co-chairs the thrice yearly blood drive at St. Peterís Catholic Church, enjoys games, camping and fishing and spending time with friends.
ìWe really try to pack each day as full as we can get it,î Frank said.
She has seen her children celebrate graduation, marriage and the miracle of becoming parents themselves.
Her life is a dream she never dared dream.
After the transplant, she hoped to add a year to her life span. Decades were unthinkable at the time.
ìWe kind of lived day to day, week to week,î Patti remembers.
The Funniís oldest grandson was named in honor and memory of the boy who gave his grandmother (Humma) life. He was baptized Daniel Joshua.
Awareness week
Organ Donation Awareness Week is April 18-22. One of the reasons Patti chose to share her story with the readers of this newspaper is to spread awareness.
And there is good reason to spread awareness of the need. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network website, there were nearly 85,000 people on transplant waiting lists as of Tuesday morning. In the last year, there were 1,148 donors for 2,207 transplants performed.
One individual can help several people on the waiting list as they can donate the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, intestines, cornea, skin, bone marrow, heart valves and connective tissue.
Will share story
The Funnis will be sharing their story 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6 at St. Peterís Catholic Church, 1250 South Shore Drive, Forest Lake. The community is encouraged to attend the free event.
This is a story Funni has shared several times over the years. With the meeting in Texas, she has more to share.
ìAfter meeting with the family of the donor I feel my story has come full circle,î she said. ìI also believe it is the most powerful organ transplant story there is.î
While she is an advocate for organ donation, Patti said the decision of donation is one that should be made individually.
ìI really do think itís a personal decision,î she said.
For more information about Organ Donation Awareness Week or organ donation in general, visit www.organdonor.gov or the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network at www.optn.org.
Patti Funni is the longest surviving transplant patient from the University of Minnesota. It is a title she intends to hold on to for years to come.
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