Marcus Gibbs – Forever 21 - UNOS...Marcus Gibbs – Forever 21 “Making a Difference” Why are...
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Marcus Gibbs – Forever 21 “Making a Difference”
Transcript of Marcus Gibbs – Forever 21 - UNOS...Marcus Gibbs – Forever 21 “Making a Difference” Why are...
Marcus Gibbs – Forever 21
“Making a Difference”
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Why are Sue and I here today? Our eldest son, Marcus, registered to be an organ donor when he got his license. He asked his mother if it was the right thing to do…and she told him that it was his decision….to do what he felt was right. We’re here to thank the people in this room today. We are here to thank you for doing what you do. Because of people like you…Marcus continues to live in others. Because of people like you…Marcus knew that his eventual death would provide the opportunity of extended life for others. Thank you. Are there people in the room today that were directly or indirectly involved with Marcus’ care and donation process? From the bottom of our hearts…thank you. We had intended to bring back gifts and cards for the nurses that comforted our friends and family and to be completely honest…we don’t remember if we did or didn’t. Funny thing about being in shock…you don’t know your in shock at the time. It is only afterwards when you try to remember things and they aren’t as clear as you would have liked. Our staff was excellent. Caring, kind, considerate, patient. Compassionate. It feels awkward to say this but….we are grateful.
Marcus Todd Gibbs – Forever 21 (F21MTG.com)
Beloved son of Scott and Sue Gibbs
Loving older brother to Aaron and Casey Gibbs
Loving first grandson to Don and Margaret Gibbs and Helmut and Theresia Saager.
Passions: Hiking, fishing, having fun, entrepreneurship, significance, uniqueness.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our
darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
automatically liberates others.”
Presenter
Presentation Notes
I hope it’s okay…I would like to help you get to know Marcus a little and who he was to his friends and family. Read the slide. In simplest terms he was a fun-loving, family-loving, adventure-seeking, quirky-comic, goofball that sought to be noticed and sought to be significant in his life. I think a lot about his dying thoughts. I think a lot about what he felt and thought on his deathbed. I am sure many of us have considered what we are on earth for. What is our purpose? What is living all about? What is it to live a full life? What do we want to know when we are on our deathbed? In the book Life’s Golden Ticket, the author nearly died in car crash…during his near death experience he said that he asked himself the following questions: advance slide
Did I live?
Did I love?
Did I matter?
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I started thinking about these questions from Marcus’ perspective. How would he answer those questions? Let’s start with Did I Live? Did Marcus Live?
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If Marcus was here today….and we asked him…did you live….I believe he would have said….Yes, I lived……no, check that….he would say…hell, yeah….I lived. I lived every damn day. Marcus lived a very full life….he spent time living and having fun….running (in the dark), hiking, camping, climbing waterfalls, skydiving, longboarding, snowboarding, canoe trip, polar plunge, MMA, youtube roofing, selling vacuum cleaners and used cars…..and liking it! Selling used cars he measured some days by the number of hugs by customers. To this day, right now, standing here before you….I am still inspired by Marcus’ zest for living, can-do attitude and “hell-yeah….I can do it” attitude. So….did Marcus live….I believe he did. Next question…did I love? Did Marcus love?
Presenter
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Did he love….oh yeah…..he had two younger brothers that he really, really cared for and that cared for him. They were peas in a pod for many, many years. It was soooo special. Sue and I often commented on how they were destined to grow up like my Dad and his 2 brothers….better looking and taller versions of course. He was the first grandchild on either side of the family and received lots and lots of hugs and kisses. He fell in love. That’s his high school sweetheart, Brittany. He cared for her a great deal and even up to the weekend before his death was writing about her. Marcus remained a hugger his whole life…Marcus was found unresponsive on Nov 16. I can still remember his whiskers on my face as we hugged the night of November 14th. I still close my eyes and remember that on many days. I will be forever grateful for his hugs and willingness to love. Unconditional love is an unbelievable thing….I remember a friend describing it to me like this….your child runs into street… We loved Marcus unconditionally and he had journaled about receiving our unconditional love the weekend before he passed. He was so easy to love…because he loved us so much. His relationship with his mother is truly special. The picture in the middle is my all-time favorite. Love for your children is something to be cherished forever. I am very grateful to have a wife and mother of our children that is so loving and caring for her boys. Unconditional love is beautiful to experience. Watching Sue look at Marcus was something to behold. A close second was his Oma….Sue’s Mom….they both had these powerful, powerful loving eyes when they looked at Marcus. It gives me chills remembering it. Did he love and was he loved? I am 100% certain that he loved and I am 100% certain that he knew he was loved.
Did I live?
Did I love?
Did I matter?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
At different points of our lives we all want to know that we were loved and we want others to know that we loved them. Marcus left us knowing with 100% certainty that he was loved. And we know with 100% certainty that he loved us. He was a hugger. He always told us he loved us. We always exchanged I love yous. Marcus lived, Marcus loved. Marcus sought significance. Marcus sought to be noticed. The interesting part is….he knew he lived….he knew he loved. I think one of the reasons he chose to be a donor was because he knew it was a significant gesture. He knew that in death, he would be providing a significant service to others. He was interested in serving others in significant and meaningful ways. I found some of this notes from the weekend before he passed…I want to quickly share.
Marcus Gibbs – Tony Robbins Unleash Power Within, November 2016
Why are you here?“I want to be proud of who I am without the use of substances or other bad habits and I want to build good business ethics and fall in love again.”What do you love?“A woman’s touch, weed, traveling, leading, hiking, water, coca-cola, stocks, woodworking, conversation, laughter, family, chaos, jumping from high places, meditation. What are you passionate about?“Sleep, being able to talk to anybody in any walk of life, building reputation, providing for someone, running, short girls.”What do you really want?“A wife who supports my dreams. Houses in different parts of the world. Old cars. Investment income. The best pool on the block.”What are two decisions you made in the past that have positively shaped your life? How did they change your life for the better? What finally got you to decide?“Decided to sit with Brittany.”“Decided to go to rehab.”What are two new decisions you are committed to making now, and how will they powerfully improve your life forever?“To be happy with myself and all the good I have done and forget my self sabotage. I’ll make millions….it’s inevitable.”“Never pick up another narcotic so I can find love and help her the way I’ve helped myself. Feel the embrace of unconditional love once again.”
Presenter
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He knew that he wanted to be significant to others…I am going to read the notes Marcus made the weekend before he passed away. From these notes, you can get a sense of how he was planning to extend his significance to the world. He had a vision for his significance to himself and significance in serving others. Read slide….. I believe that marcus is aware of this discussion today and Sue and I want him to know that we are proud of him and that he is significant to his family and friends. I also want him to know that he is significant to these people and the people they will someday help.
Presenter
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My son had decided on his own to give life to others. An 18 year old boy decided that he would give life to strangers. We posted a video and other notes on social media to let people know about Marcus’ decision to be a donor. When Marcus passed away it was the saddest day of my life and the proudest day of my life. He mattered to these people. These are friends and family members that made decisions to become organ donors after hearing of Marcus’s decision. This is not the complete list….but a mere representation. Marcus helped 5 recipients. Marcus’ love and caring and charity mattered to these people. So Marcus….Did you matter….in your words….hell yeah, you did.
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How many people remember the movie…”Pay it Forward” with Haley Joel Osment. This shows a geometric progression of 3 but it could be a progression of 5. The math gets very big very quickly. In order for this process to work….you need brave donors like Marcus. But guess what….Marcus’ ultimate and lasting significance to his recipients could have never happened without people like you. We need people operating with a purpose and creating significance for donors during one of the most heart-wrenching experiences that families will ever experience. What the people in this room do for mankind is hugely significant. It is world class. How many people in the world are invested in this process? What %? One tenth of one percent? I have no idea….but I do know this….it is a minute percentage and you represent a world-class set of individuals. Here’s the thing….paying it forward is a big deal. What you do is a big deal….how do I know….?
The Sorrentino Family
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This is Paul Sorrentino….the proud owner of Marcus’s heart. I spoke to Paul for the first time on a Saturday of April 2018. He is 70 years old, lives near Buffalo, is married to his wife Joyce, has a daughter Danielle and two grandchildren Olivia and Elliott. Danielle and Joyce have reached out to us also. They have each called us their new family. By coincidence, we first met Paul and Joyce on Marcus’ 23rd birthday. Sue and I have had breakfast with Paul and Joyce and had a wonderful conversation. We heard the challenges that Paul had with Marcus’ new heart…he spent two days in and out of consciousness having very weird dreams. The doctors told Joyce they didn’t know for sure that Paul would make it. Paul shared with us that his new heart beats at least twice as fast has his original heart. Paul has indicated that he will celebrate Marcus’ birthday, April 21st, much the way he celebrates his own.
Do I matter?
Am I making a difference?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Talk about duality and confusing emotions….I literally hate that we are in this room with you today and I literally love that we are in this room with you today. Marcus’ passing is likely to be the saddest day of my entire life. His decision to be a donor could possibly be the most proud moment of my life. You, the people in this room, have given Marcus ultimate significance. You have given Marcus ultimate purpose. You have given our family another positive emotion to link to Marcus. You have given the Sorrentino family one of the happiest moments of their lives. Because of the work you do…because of your purpose….because you are choosing to serve others…our family has another very positive memory anchor in our lives. Show of hands….how many are willing to do me a quick favor before I’m finished? Great…thank you….first, accept our sincere gratitude for the work you do. I am sure Marcus is here and he is loving the fact that everyone in this room knows Marcus Gibbs gave his heart, literally and figuratively, to save another man’s life. Second, please connect with me on Facebook. Next Saturday, I will post the video that I did for Marcus’ birthday last year….the subject is organ donation. Please Share it with your network of people….not to preach the importance of organ donation but to credibly and authentically share a true story of the impact each of you are making in this world. To honor each of you and to honor Marcus’ loving spirit….please hug at least one of your neighbors and say “You have significant purpose…..thank you.” Lastly, please remember….you are doing important work….if you ever find yourself doubting your purpose…..please choose to remember, Marcus Gibbs. You fulfilled Marcus’ desire to help others….to be hugely significant…..by giving life to others…..and for that, we will be forever grateful. Thank you.
The Gibbs and Sorrentino families thank you.
