What is a God wink? (an event or personal experience, often identified as coincidence, so astonishing that it is seen as a sign of divine intervention, especially when perceived as the answer to a prayer.
I have experienced God winks in my life on many occasions.  
The story I am going to tell you started around 2009.
My sister Teri had to have her gallbladder removed. This is when everything started. The bile duct was blocked during surgery, and because of this, my sister had to suffer from cirrhosis of the liver for 10 years.
Fast forward to the summer of 2019. The doctors told Teri it was time to look for a liver donor. We had no idea what this entailed but we were about to find out.
Teri had to undergo so many tests before we could begin to think about a liver transplant.

God wink: Teri’s husband Calvin worked for a company that had great insurance. We were told you can’t go to just any hospital you have to go to a Blue Diamond hospital which has the highest quality providers and doctors. The University of Colorado School of Medicine and UC health in Aurora Colorado is the place we needed to be.

We were told that a liver transplant is very expensive. Even with insurance, we would need to do fundraisers to help with the cost.

God wink: God put so many people in our path to help us with the fundraisers and he continued throughout our journey. 

When they tell you to get prepared for a liver transplant you don’t just go and get a new liver. You have to continue getting tested and one of the tests is a meld score test. This test determines how urgently you need a transplant. The higher the number the more likely you are to receive a liver from a deceased donor when an organ becomes available.

God wink: God was keeping a close eye on that for us. We needed it to go up so she could qualify for her new liver but not so high she would be too sick to get the transplant.

One of the issues for us was that we were too far away from the hospital if a liver became available.
I continued to tell people about my sister and what she was going through on Facebook and wouldn’t you know it, God sent another God wink!
Our biggest concern at this time was where we would stay. Most places wanted $200 or more per night. We had no way of knowing how long we would be there.

God wink: While watching our grandson play soccer one day, I ran into my high school friend whom I had not seen in a long time. (we are friends on Facebook) Marlene and her husband Mark had driven up from Colorado to watch her brother's son play soccer. Marlene said, “Diana, we have been following your story on Facebook and God put it on our hearts and we would like you and your sister to stay with us.” They lived in Lakewood Colorado 25 miles from the hospital. God had answered our prayers!

November 12, 2019
Teri and I headed to Colorado with my husband, Clyde, not knowing what was in store or how long we would be there. Our faith was stronger than ever and not once did we ever think she might not make it. We were almost to Colorado when Teri’s phone rang and it was the hospital asking where we were and that they might have a liver for her so come to the hospital right away. When we got to the hospital they started to prep her for surgery. They took us to a room and told us to wait. Time seemed to drag and Teri was very weak. I remember thinking “God she is so weak please take care of her.” A nurse came in and said, “I am going to have the doctor talk to you.” Teri was not going to get the liver. There was a patient that needed a liver and kidney transplant and this was a perfect match for them.                                                                                                                                                  

God wink: not only for us to have time for Teri to get stronger but for the person needing the transplant.

Clyde headed back to South Dakota and Teri and I found our days full. Teri had to go to the hospital almost daily for bloodwork and different tests. We had to go to meetings where they would ask us all kinds of questions. We also found ourselves in a class with others waiting for a new liver. This was an eye-opener because you knew not everyone was going to get a liver.  Teri needed to get stronger and so every day I would get her up, feed her (even when she didn’t want to eat), make her get dressed, and go for a walk. We would do some Christmas shopping to pass the time.

God wink: Teri started to get stronger, she was ready for her transplant.

God continued to put people in our path to help us on our journey. They were so kind and would pray with us.  
God wink: We found out that a classmate of Teri’s knew the doctor that God had given Teri to do her transplant and her new role was the chief of the division of transplant surgery and professor of surgery at the University of Colorado. Teri would have an all-women team for her transplant.
Every day I would tell Teri to be ready this could be the day God gives you your new liver.

December 10th 2019
Teri and I headed to the hospital so she could have blood work done. When we got there we got a call, “Don’t go home after your appointment. Stay at the hotel we think we may have a liver for you. We will stay in touch.” I think this was the longest day of our lives. You didn’t want to get your hopes up but it was hard not to. I believe it was around 10 pm that they called and said everything was a go and to be at the hospital around 8 am the next day.

December 11th 2019
God wink: Teri got her new liver!

For our family, this was a blessing but for another family, it was a great loss. God was with all of us holding on tight. God gave this family the courage to carry out their 17-year-old son's wish, to be an organ donor and save many lives. We thank this family every day for the gift of life. Please consider being a donor you may be someone's God wink! Teri continued to recover in the hospital with Calvin and me by her side.
                                                                                                                                                                                       
On December 15th, I received a phone call from my daughter-in-law that my son Jessy was in a bad snowboarding accident. Jessy had a fractured sternum, 11 broken ribs, fractured the edge of 3 vertebrae, a punctured lung, and a lacerated spleen. I knew I needed to leave Teri and Calvin in God’s hands and get home to my son.

God wink: God put the right people in just the right places in my path to get me home.
God wink: Jessy had a long road to recovery but God watched over him and helped him heal. (note: Jessy’s son Ethan (our grandson) broke his collarbone during this time.) I did wonder at times how much more I could handle. I knew God was in charge and was walking beside me and sometimes He carried me. I found comfort in this and knew everything would be okay.

January 18th 2020
God wink: God gave me time to catch my breath. I was able to spend time with my family over Christmas. On January 18th, Clyde and I headed back to Colorado. I would stay with Teri until they released her to go home. Teri had to go to the hospital daily for tests to make sure her new liver was okay.  Then the day came!!

January 24th 2020
God wink: we were given the best news ever! You can go home!

We had to go back to the hospital for one last checkup and then we could head home on Sunday.

God wink: the hospital gave Teri a letter from the family who donated their son's liver to her. This was very emotional and Teri could not read the letter until around September. I did get to read it. The family had included a picture of their son. What a blessing this family is.

When Teri was able to read the letter, she was also able to write back to his family to thank them for the gift of life and let them know she would be able to watch her grandsons grow up. Today her oldest grandson is the same age (17) that this young man was when he donated his liver.

God wink: it was time for us to go home!!

We thank everyone who was a part of our story.
Remember to be on the lookout for your God wink!!