Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hosting Awakin Call with Grayson Sword.

Grayson Sword is a 18-year-old high school senior and open-heart surgery survivor. At 13, she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Given almost no chance to survive, she lived, finding strength in compassion and resilience. Now 18, she's on a mission to raise compassion in the world. Grayson grew up an avid athlete. When she was thirteen, she fainted in gym class, prompting a cardiologist visit that resulted in a diagnosis of a congenital heart defect called Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Right Coronary Sinus, which affects about .047% of the population and often leads to sudden cardiac death, especially in teenage athletes. Grayson had never experienced heart pain prior to her fainting spell, so the news of her defect turned her world upside down. As part of her healing process, Grayson found strength in connections with others, consciously practicing gratitude, the healing power of art, and most importantly, compassion.

We'll post the transcript of the call soon, but till then, some of the nuggets that stood out from the call ...

• The first line in Grayson's journal after she found out about her condition was "today was the most heart-breaking and miraculous day of my existence"
• On pain: "Pain is an integral human aspect. Healing can be a communal activity"
• On healing: "Healing is not about restoring to some original purity. It is about growing"
• Grayson filled 1000 pages of gratitude in her journal!

Lots of gratitude to all the behind-the-scenes volunteers that made this call happen!