Beyond Color

In Beyond Color, Retired Air Force Master Sergeant Douglas Jordan, also known as DJ by his family and close friends, takes his readers on a rollercoaster ride like no other, as he chronicles his journey on the precipice of life and death. From a team of doctors to best friends, family members, and even strangers, his story touches the lives of many who found themselves holding their own breathe, as they strived to keep DJ alive; but first, they had to find him. DJ approached the on-ramp of Interstate 395, thinking to himself, "I should be home in Alexandria in fifteen minutes". Five hours later, he wound up in Richmond, VA; unaware of his name, not knowing where he was, and desperate for answers. Due to a severe case of Hepatic Encephalopathy, the world-traveled retired Air Force Master Sergeant Douglas Jordan was lost. This is his real-life story.

Master Sergeant Douglas "DJ" Jordan's story is like so many others, yet unlike any other story you've ever heard. One fateful day he sat across from his doctor, who gave him a diagnosis that left him reeling. As she spoke, the smile on his face began to fade. It was as if with each word uttered darkness filled the room. "MSgt Jordan, the Specialty Clinic should have shared this information with you by now .... You have cirrhosis of the liver, and you will need to have a liver transplant. …if you don't receive a liver in time, You Will Die." His mind went numb as he struggled with the reality that this was the beginning of a new uphill battle while simultaneously coming to terms with the fact that life as he knew it was ending. Worse than dealing with this devastating diagnosis, DJ was forced to face the unknown. He had never had to contemplate the possibility much less the process of needing a life-saving organ, and he had no idea if it would even be possible. He had always known he was strong, courageous, and unafraid of new challenges, after all that's what lead him to join the Air Force, but in the coming years, DJ would learn just how strong his will to survive was. Beyond Color is the inspiring story of DJ's extraordinary journey to the brink of death and back. It chronicles the unimaginable twists and turns that kept DJ moving forward despite harrowing obstacles like when his petit one-hundred-and-forty-pound frame ballooned to over one hundred and ninety pounds. He soon learned that this unexpected weight gain was a telltale sign that his condition was deteriorating. As time went on the distinguished Master Sergeant would learn that this disease would not only ravage his body but would also try to destroy his mind. Desperately in need of an organ, teetering on the edge of sanity and not wanting to alarm his family and friends, DJ suddenly found himself lost in a city he had never been to. What follows is one man's story of his fight and determination to stay alive. Beyond Color tells it all.

Douglas "DJ" Jordan was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. A twenty-one year retired Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force, he served and fought all over the world in places such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Singapore, Japan, and countless other countries. He is the founder of and currently oversees his non-profit organization, DJDONATELIFE.org, and currently serves as a United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and a DONATE LIFE Ambassador. He is an event public speaker, educating and motivating every one of the importance to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors. He currently lives between his homes in Alexandria, Virginia and Dayton, Ohio.