GAIL WHITE Family's impact on life takes No. 1 position

"If children are the products of their environment, never have two been as blessed as we."
The words have the ring of a poem written by an Emerson or Longfellow. They were not.
These sentiments were penned by a high school junior writing an English class paper about her family.
Katie Lynn Stocz, a graduate of Howland High School and now a student at Ohio University, created a memorable masterpiece of her family's history and its impact on her life.
"Throughout our lives we revel at the gifts we receive not recognizing that our first gift, that of life, should be treasured, built upon and ultimately shared," she writes with eloquence.
"Life is not a gift that we open, use for a while, and quietly place on a shelf to maybe use another day. Each day our lives must be experienced, appreciated and then shared with another."
In this season of the hustle-bustle gift-giving frenzy, this insightful young lady has captured the essence of what is truly important.
"The greatest gift given to me has been the impact my family has had on my life," she writes. "This gift, now opened, will never sit on a shelf, will always be appreciated and will be the first gift I pass on to future generations."
Her words go on to describe the love and support of her parents. "Molding me into the person that I am ... Trusting and encouraging ... Without their love and support, I would be lost."
Dedication: She dedicated her paper, however, to her grandparents, Rita and Steve Stocz of Howland.
"They have taught me the meaning behind family," she writes. "I have never met two people so happily dedicated to being in their children and grandchildren's lives."
Rarely have Steve and Rita Stocz missed an event that their grandchildren have been involved in.
"That's what family does," Steve said simply.
Katie shares more of her feelings about her grandparents in her paper.
"The happiness they embrace life with is a blessing to all they meet," she writes. "Each day I realize what a blessing God has provided me with when he gave my grandfather a second chance at life. ... The experiences we have been through have brought us closer together and taught us how precious life is."
What Katie is referring to is, quite literally, a gift of the heart.
"Poppa," as Katie refers to Steve Stocz, was suffering from congestive heart failure.
"There are periods of my life, I remember just sitting in the chair, trying to breathe," Steve says somberly.
Emergency: Rushed to the Cleveland Clinic late one January afternoon in 1998, doctors informed the family that Poppa's heart was giving out.
"His systems started to shut down," recalled Mark Stocz, Katie's father. "We had to make decisions about an artificial heart."
An artificial heart is a mechanical device that pumps the heart. It is placed in a patient until a heart for a transplant can be found. Patients with an artificial heart remain in the hospital.
"Dad was scheduled for his artificial heart surgery the next morning. We left the hospital about midnight," Mark recalled. "I drove home thinking about the many months Dad could be in the hospital, waiting for a heart."
At 2 in the morning, the phone rang. The Clinic had a heart.
"There are 250 characteristics that a heart needs to match," Mark said, marveling at the odds. "This heart matched them all."
The next morning, instead of artificial heart surgery, Poppa had a heart transplant.
To this day, Steve has a difficult time talking about his fortune. "It's a miracle," he managed to say through tears.
Daughter-in-law Anita, Mark's wife, responds with certainty, "He just has more to do. ... He's here to keep this legacy going."
Katie is compelled to continue to legacy. "I hold every moment, every second, and every memory close to my heart."
May your family cherish every moment and memory this holiday season.
gwhite@vindy.com