Voices of Donation
Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson passed away very suddenly of a blood clot in the heart at the age of 51.
“Patrick was my husband of 34 years,” said wife Kay. “We have two boys.”
Patrick owned his own bridge construction business for most of he and Kay’s lives together before he later became a crane operator. Kay said Patrick was fun loving, strong physically and emotionally, and extremely attentive to his family.
“Patrick and I had never really discussed what to do,” said Kay about organ and tissue donation. “But I remembered that Patrick had read an article in Reader’s Digest about it and had made the comment that he thought it was a very honorable thing to do and what better way to help someone.”
Kay recently found out that, through Patrick’s donation, his tissue was able to help 43 other individuals. “One of the most surprising things about the donation was how many people our gift helped,” she said. “It was a comfort to know that Patrick’s generosity continued even after death.”
Kay says that the option of donation is extremely important to offer to families who may want to help others life a better life.