Life, Love & Elizabeth Parker

            This story takes place in the waning moments of Sol Driven Train’s performance last Friday at the Party on the Point.   The band was playing on stage with the Charleston Harbor behind them.  There were roughly 300 folks in attendance, spread out on the grounds of the hotel, most listening to the music.  The area near the stage was covered in clean white, grainy sand that had obviously been trucked in from somewhere other than Charleston. 

             It was in that area, next to the stage, where I spotted Miss Parker.  We had spoken several times earlier in the evening, but this time she was standing all by herself. When she smiled at me, I felt I needed to go be near her.  She was wearing this pretty white dress, and when I walked up to her she said, “I think I need to have this dress taken in a bit," and she spun around to show me how loose the dress was around her waist. 

            The band had just walked off the stage and we were waiting for them to come back on for their encore.  When they did, the crowd gave a little cheer, and before they started playing again, they re-announced that they were raising money for their friend who needs a heart transplant.  This was when Parker, being Parker, turned to me and said, in her soft but serious voice, “I wish I had two hearts so I could give her one.”

            At the time, I didn’t really think much of it.  The band started with their song, "Guest List," which is a song about how the only way they would get into heaven would be if someone were to put them on the guest list.  Again, a song whose words I didn’t really pay much attention to.   We danced and smiled, and at the end of the song, I turned to Parker and gave her a big hug and told her that I loved her and to be safe.  Just like I do with all my friends that I care about.  She gave me a big smile and we parted ways. 

            Looking back at that night, that moment of time was so surreal.  We left Patriots Point and headed up onto the Ravenel Bridge.  As we crested the top of the bridge, we saw fireworks from the baseball stadium exploding over the city skyline.  I remember watching in awe, as we had the perfect spot for fireworks.  The whole time, unknown to us, something horrifically tragic was taking place behind us. 

            It wasn’t until the next day that I got a phone call from her ex-husband, Derek, informing me that Elizabeth had been hit on her moped by a drunk driver while crossing the bridge.  Since that moment, everything has kind of become a blur.  I fought with myself over whether I should go see her in her hospital bed. I didn't want to ruin the perfect memory of our last goodbye.  I finally realized that this would be my last chance to tell her that I loved her, and that it was worth ingraining those tragic images and smells into my memory.

            I made sure that her friends told the nurses the story about what she had said to me about giving her heart.  We were informed that due to the severity of the accident, her heart was not able to be saved.   We, of course, were upset about this and went through all the steps of denial.  With her fateful request not able to be met, I have been at a loss at how cruel and unfair living and dying can be.  I put my thinking cap on and came up with a solution. 

            I spoke with both Sol Driven Train and Elizabeth's parents, and we have decided that even though Parker was unable to donate her heart, it doesn't mean that we can't help the lady who desperately needs funds to get a heart transplant.  

            Below is a link to find out about Lisha Frits. I was blessed to have had a person like Elizabeth Parker in my life, and double-blessed to be the one that got to spend her last conscious minutes with her. I'm triple-blessed to be able to spread the message of her love for life.

http://www.gofundme.com/HEART-TRANSPLANT-EXPENSES

Richard

On a side note, the doctors were able to save her liver and both of her kidneys.