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I.C. Dodson and his little sister
both developed Scarlet Fever
when he was 4 years old. In later
years that had a damaging
effect on his heart. His father had
a fatal heart attack when
he was 66 years old. Henry knew that
he was going to have
to take care of himself. He became a
dedicated runner, did
not smoke, was not overweight and
watched his diet. But
in 1982 at the age of 47, he had a
heart attack which led to
open heart surgery.
All went well for fifteen years and then in April 1997 at
the age of sixty two he needed
another open heart operation.
This time things did not go well. He
spent all spring and
summer in and out of the hospital.
On September 2, 1997 the doctors told him that his heart
damage was very extensive and the he
probably only had
three or fiur months to live. They
suggested that he go to
the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland,
Ohio, for a possible heart
transplant. He believed that it was
the end for him. The pain
and sickness and not being able to
eat or sleep were so
unbearable that he prayed to God to
end it all.
God's answer was "NO". He was placed on a waiting
list
for six weeks and on October 9, 1997
he received a transplant.
The donor was a young man of
seventeen.
What it has done for him would be hard to explain. If it
had not been for that young man and
The Organ Donation
Program, he would not have been able
to receive the gift of
life and tell his story.
Henry has traveled the State of Ohio lecturing to both
masonic and non-masonic groups. He
has recently received
the Senior Citizen of the Year Award
from the Medical
Advisory Council of Ohio for his
volunteer efforts in promoting
organ and tissue donations.
Henry and his wife Shirley live in Bellbrook, Ohio. They
have been married for more than
fifty three yaers and have
two adult children. Henry served in
the United States Navy
and retired from Delco-Moraine with
22 years of service.
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