Sarah’s Story: A Proud Donor and Daughter

I am Sarah, the daughter of a donor. I’ll start by saying that I have been a registered organ donor since I got my driver’s license. That little heart on my ID has taken on a whole new meaning in my life recently. My father passed away November 4, 2015 and my whole world flipped upside down. My dad spent his life healing and helping others as a doctor. He knew how impactful donation could be in the event of his passing. When he passed, my whole family was so devastated with grief we completely forgot my dad was a registered organ donor. When we received the call asking if we would like to honor his wishes, there was no question the answer was “yes.” Over the past year, HonorBridge has been a wonderful resource for the grieving process and positivity regarding the loss of our loved one. Recently a recipient reached out to my family to thank us for our loved one’s donation and to send their condolences. We soon after found out that 75 grafts were made from my father’s skin/tissue donation and that he has already helped 15 individuals in many different states throughout the country. His corneas were donated to further research and education regarding blindness and glaucoma. This painful loss has been made just a little better with the knowledge that from our loss, others have benefitted. My dad has continued to save lives and heal others even after he left the physical world. There are no words to describe the joy and healing my family has received from this process. Organ donation is the most incredible, special, and selfless act. I will never stop advocating for organ donation, and though I wish it was on a larger platform, I will do my best to spread the word in any way I can. I am a proud daughter and more importantly a proud registered organ donor!