At the age of 51, Retired Master Sergeant Douglas “DJ” Jordan already knew he needed a liver transplant. He just hadn’t told his family.
He’d shared the news with a close network of friends and colleagues, but he hadn’t told his family.
“I didn’t want them to worry,” he said. “But I had everything planned. I had my go bag sitting on the living room table. I drilled with my friends what would happen when I got the call. We had it all worked out who was going to pick me up and drive me to Baltimore when the call came. We just hadn’t planned on me losing my memory.”
“That’s how my family found out I needed a transplant.”
On Sept. 11, 2013, DJ went missing. Some people’s absence could go unnoticed for days or weeks, but DJ was known as a man who was always on time and always dependable. When he didn’t show up for his 9 a.m. meeting with a friend on Sept. 12, everyone knew there was something wrong.
“When I didn’t show up, he called me, he texted me, he emailed me – he tried everything,” DJ said.
Finally, the friend called DJ’s sister to say DJ was missing. And that he was on the liver transplant list, expecting the call at any time.
“That’s how my family found out I needed a transplant,” DJ said.
