organ donor

All posts tagged organ donor

Bonnie Raitt Reveals the Emotional Story Behind Her Grammy-Winning Song ‘Just Like That’
The singer opened up about the touching responses to her win and shared the inspiration for the lyrics.

on February 11, 2023 No comments
Sammi Burke

Bonnie Raitt made quite the impression at this year’s Grammy Awards, where she took home the honors for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song for “Just Like That,” as well as Best Americana Performance for “Made Up Mind.”

That win triggered a number of younger music fans to discover Raitt for the first time, and countless others to reach out with their congratulations, wrapping the praise within their own, heartfelt stories, which listening to the lyrics of “Just Like That” brought crashing to the forefront for so many who have had any experience at all with organ donation.

Yesterday, Feb. 10, Raitt took a moment to “respond to the incredible outpouring of messages that have come in since…” winning in a post shared on Facebook.

“I’ve been so deeply moved, often to tears, reading the personal stories of hundreds of you, some of whom have had no familiarity with me or my music before I won that GRAMMY, and were curious why this song had won,” she began her lengthy message, addressing those who had reached out after listening to the song for the first time with their own “heart-wrenching” memories involving having a family member saved by organ donation or, alternatively, having to make the decision to donate a loved one’s organs to save others.

She went on to call the stories, which have come in from medical professionals who work in transplant medicine, as well, and “have moved [her] as much as anything [she] can remember,” a gift. “These stories run the gamut and I’m just blown open by the vulnerability and power of each of them,” she continued, noting how “honored” she is that her song has elicited such a reaction before going on to explain the inspiration behind it: a segment she saw several years ago on the evening news.

“…they followed a woman who was meeting the man who had received her son’s heart for the first time. It was very emotional, but when he invited her to put her head on his chest and listen to her son’s heart, I just lost it. I knew after it stayed with me for weeks, that I wanted to write my own story, inspired so much by John Prine’s music and his beautiful “Angel From Montgomery,” which I’ve sung every show since hearing it in the early 70’s.”

{{svg_quality_icon}}
{{quality-options}}

Raitt’s song details the story of a fictional woman, Olivia Zand, who is swirling in the grief and guilt that came after losing her young son until she “finds redemption and grace through the loving act of another.”

Raitt hopes the song raises awareness and encourages others to support and sign up to be organ donors, and may also lead to “removing obstacles that have hindered helping thousands connecting to facilitate this miraculous gift of life and help bring comfort to those suffering such tragic loss.”

She went on to link to an op-ed from Dr. Maureen McBride, interim CEO of United Network for Organ Sharing, about the importance of supporting organ donation programs and again thanked those that have reached out to share their stories with her, many of which can be read in the comments below the lyric video on YouTube

“More than any award, fame or commercial success, knowing what my song means to so many may be the greatest gift of all,” she signed off. 

Congratulations on your big wins, Bonnie!

About The Author


Source: © Copyright Parade

But wait, there's more!

Bonnie Raitt says she’s ‘been so deeply moved’ by outpouring love after major Grammys win
After winning song of the year, the singer thanked those who have shared their stories and experience with organ donation.

on February 11, 2023 No comments
By Liz Calvario

The 2023 Grammy Awards was a night to remember for Bonnie Raitt.

The singer-songwriter won song of the year for “Just Like That,” surprising audiences and even herself. Raitt, 73 — who was up against artists like Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Beyoncé — was visibly shocked to hear her name being announced during the Feb. 5 telecast.

Her win touched many people’s hearts including those who related to the song’s lyrics, which were inspired by a true story about an organ donor.

In a Feb. 10 message posted on her website, Raitt began by sharing how she wanted to respond to “the incredible outpouring of messages that have come in” since her big win.

Read Raitt’s full letter below:

I wanted to respond to the incredible outpouring of messages that have come in since my song, “Just Like That,” won the Grammy award last Sunday night for Song of the Year.

I’ve been so deeply moved, often to tears, reading the personal stories of hundreds of you, some of whom have had no familiarity with me or my music before I won that Grammy and were curious why this song had won. After listening, many of you wrote that you were moved to tears, even inspired to share your own heart-wrenching stories of either having your loved one’s life saved by an organ donation, or having decided at the height of the terrible shock and loss of losing a beloved, that you would donate their organs so that others could live.

These stories and your responses to my song have moved me as much as anything I can remember and I want to thank you so much for this gift. So many messages from nurses and doctors in the field involved with transplants as well as people who were tragically not able to get an organ in time to save their loved one’s life. There are messages from the family members of people who wanted their organs to be donated, but are now living with the guilt when that wish, for whatever reason, was not able to be fulfilled.. These stories run the gamut and I’m just blown open by the vulnerability and power of each of them.

I am so honored that my song and the original news story that inspired it, are eliciting such a deep emotional response for so many. The story behind the song is this: A few years ago I saw a segment on the evening TV news where they followed a woman who was meeting the man who had received her son’s heart for the first time. It was very emotional, but when he invited her to put her head on his chest and listen to her son’s heart, I just lost it. I knew after it stayed with me for weeks, that I wanted to write my own story, inspired so much by John Prine’s music and his beautiful “Angel From Montgomery,” which I’ve sung every show since hearing it in the early 70’s. I wrote about a fictional woman, Olivia Zand, torn by grief and guilt at the loss of her young son, who finds redemption and grace through the loving act of another.

May the song bring about even more awareness and motivation for more of us to support organ donation registration and infrastructure — removing obstacles that have hindered helping thousands connecting to facilitate this miraculous gift of life and help bring comfort to those suffering such tragic loss. I’ve included a link here to organdonor.gov to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor in an effort to more directly connect to and support the 104,085 men, women, and children currently on the national transplant waiting list.

Thank you all so much again for your incredible responses and sharing your beautiful stories. More than any award, fame or commercial success, knowing what my song means to so many may be the greatest gift of all.

Blessings to you,
Bonnie

The story stayed with her for weeks and inspired her to write “Just Like That.” She also gained inspiration from John Prine’s music and his song “Angel From Montgomery.” The two musicians were longtime collaborators and friends. Prine, who died in 2020, wrote the song in 1971, with Raitt covering to acclaim since 1974.

Additionally, the singer noted her message was inspired by an op-ed written by Dr. Maureen McBride for USA Today that was published the day before. She also encouraged people to become organ donors.

“More than any award, fame or commercial success, knowing what my song means to so many may be the greatest gift of all,” she concluded, before directing people to the comments section of her lyric video to read people’s inspiring and heartbreaking stories.

Raitt also won two additional Grammys that night in the best American roots song and best Americana performance categories, bringing her total to 13 total wins.

{{svg_quality_icon}}
{{quality-options}}

About The Author


Source: © Copyright Today

But wait, there's more!

Bonnie Raitt’s Grammy-Winning Song of the Year Tells Story of a Mother and Her Child’s Heart Recipient

on February 6, 2023 No comments
Corey Bryant

On Sunday, February 5, Bonnie Raitt took home the Grammy for Song of the Year for her self-penned song, “Just Like That.”

“Just Like That” tells a story of a mother’s journey after the loss of a child, the healing power of organ donation and the connection between a donor family and a recipient. Through powerful lyrics, a mother gets to be with her son one more time because of the kindness of a stranger, and because of the kindness she first showed him.

The Alliance congratulates Bonnie Raitt for her Grammy Award-winning Song of the Year, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for bringing awareness to the profound power of organ, eye and tissue donation. We invite everyone to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor by visiting RegisterMe.org, and sharing your decision with your loved ones.

The following is an excerpt from American Songwriter, describing the origins of her award-winning song:

The Origins

In conversation with American Songwriter, Raitt explained the inspiration for “Just Like That” came from a human interest piece that had been broadcast on the news. The story was about a woman who had donated her son’s heart after his death and was about to meet the organ’s recipient for the first time.

“I just lost it,” Raitt said of the moment the man let the mother hear her late son’s heart in his chest. “It was the most moving and surprising thing. I wasn’t expecting it. I vowed right then that I wanted to write a song about what that would take.”

And so she set out to write the story song, “Just Like That,” and her subsequent album of the same name. In between her words of disbelief, she reiterated the story behind the song in her Grammy acceptance speech, citing the late great John Prine as instrumental inspiration as well.

Watch her acceptance below.

{{svg_quality_icon}}
{{quality-options}}

The Lyrics

“Every time I hear about a family donating organs when their child has been killed, or there’s some sort of sudden death—as if you’re not in grief and shock enough—to have the view and the compassion and the love to be able to pay it forward like that is so incredible,” Raitt told American Songwriter.

“Just Like That” tells the story of the meeting of the mother and the recipient, depicting an interaction that is both heartwarming and gut-wrenching.

I watched him circle ’round the block / Finally stopped at mine / Took a while before he knocked / Like all he had was time, the song begins with curiosity and apprehension ahead of the bittersweet meeting. “Excuse me, ma’am, maybe you can help / The directions weren’t so clear / I’m looking for Olivia Zand / They said I might find her here.”

Well I looked real hard and asked him / “What she’s got he’s looking for?” the song’s narrator responds. Met with the reply Said “there’s somethin’ I think she’d want to know,” the tune takes off on a touching journey of loss and love.

And just like that your life can change / If I hadn’t looked away / My boy might still be with me now / He’d be 25 today, the chorus plays, No knife can carve away the stain / No drink can drown regret / They say Jesus brings you peace and grace / Well he ain’t found me yet.

The next verse reveals why this stranger has come and what it is he has to say. He sat down and took a deeper breath / Then looked right in my face / “I heard about the son you lost / How you left without a trace / I’ve spent years just trying to find you / So I could finally let you know / It was your son’s heart that saved me / And a life you gave us both.”

Just like the exposé that inspired “Just Like That,” the mother gets to be with her son one more time because of the kindness of a stranger, and because of the kindness she first showed him.

And just like that your life can change, the song comes to a close. Look what the angels send / I lay my head upon his chest / And I was with my boy again / Well I spent so long in darkness / I never thought the night would end / But somehow grace has found me / And I had to let him in.

{{svg_quality_icon}}
{{quality-options}}

About The Author


Source: © Copyright The Alliance

But wait, there's more!