Posted by Jim Jepson on March 16, 1998 at 20:30:25:
Elder Jeff Darger, Santiago mission 90-92, passed away on March 7,1998.
Before he was home for a month after the mission, he found out he had
a hole in his heart. His heart had to work overtime to pump the blood
to his body, causing the hole to get bigger and damaging his lungs.
After some time, he needed new lungs and a new heart. New lungs became
available and so he received a transplant. The doctors tried to fix the
heart but it was never completely fixed.
His body rejected his lungs but experimental medication seemed to help. He
was on the transplant list the entire time but nothing ever panned out.
Unfortunately, his lungs finally quit working and he passed away.
I had the opportunity to speak to him a few days before he died. One of his
wishes was to take his grandmother to the D.R. to see his mission.