United States (English)
German (Deutsch)The generous gift of tissue donation can dramatically improve quality of life for recipients. Read stories of how tissue donation and transplantation have touched the lives of others.
Kim Hill
With a passion for running, Kimberley has been athletic her entire life. If she is not running along the Milwaukee Lakefront, she is hiking with her best friend or in a yoga class. "I belong to a local running team, and they ...
Kaylynn Jennings
Kaylynn Jennings races motocross in the D6 Ultimate Quad Series and ATVMX Nationals. A motocross accident at age 16 kept her from pursuing her passion. "I was in first place when I bumped tires with another bike, which threw...
Colin Lepley
Colin Lepley considers himself very physical, and he enjoys practically all sports. He has played sports since he was four years old, his favorite being football. During his junior year of high school, he ran for over 1,200 y...
Bette Kroll
Elizabeth “Bette” Kroll was an avid reader and gardener, especially known for her sparkling sense of humor. Bette lost her life at the age of 69, leaving behind three children and three grandchildren. “I don’t believe our ch...
Bob Jones
Bob Jones’ life came to an end in the early hours of January 1, 2002. He and his wife, Kathy, had spent New Year’s Eve with their daughter and were driving back to their home in Dixon, Ill. when a drunk driver rear-ended thei...
Clifford Nelson
Clifford Nelson had lived a full and wonderful life when he passed away at the age of 84. He died of a massive stroke and had been on dialysis for just over seven years. His wife of 53 years, Lillie, said she and Clifford we...
Linda Heffernan
Linda Heffernan passed away suddenly at the age of 50 in February 1999 from a pulmonary embolism, five days after undergoing elective surgery. She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and a friend. She rais...
Heather Johnson
Heather Johnson lost her life in a car accident between Madison and Portage, Wis., just a short time after celebrating her 21st birthday. “She was a very caring person who liked making others feel good,” said Heather’s fathe...
Melissa Hanson
“My daughter and best friend, Melissa, was born on Christmas Day,” said mother Loni Wendt. “We lost her in a car accident on April 19, 2002, at the age of 16.” According to her mother, as Melissa grew up she quietly helped an...
Stephen Rutherford
Kathy Rutherford describes her son, Stephen, as the perfect baby boy with beautiful blue eyes and big dimples. He was a normal teenager who loved to have fun and make people laugh. Stephen always helped his fellow classmates ...
Terry Snowden
Terry Snowden suffered of liver failure and passed away in Stoughton, Wis. at the age of 58. “He was very much a giver,” said Terry’s wife Jane. “He loved doing special things for me. He’d bring me flowers and gifts for no o...
Quentin Durell
Quentin Durell, from Arizona, lived to be 83 years old and experienced the better part of the 20th century during his life. He suffered a heart attack and passed away in 2001. When Quentin passed away, his Hospice nurse asked...
Nancy Quick
Nancy Quick served in the United States Navy and later joined the reserves after her tour of duty was complete. In her early 40s, while helping care for her elderly parents, Nancy was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. “Her ...
Connelly Sanders, Jr.
Connelly Sanders, Jr., born in 1929 in Oklahoma, lived a full and happy life before passing away at the age of 74 while living in Marietta, Ga., with his wife, Rosemarie. After he graduated from the University of Missouri an...
Jimmariyah Sherrill
Jimmariyah Sherrill was a smart young boy with an energetic and loving personality. Tragically, his life was taken at only 10 years old when he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in 2003. His grandmother and guardian, ...
Glanville family
Marge Glanville, of Arizona, has lost two heroic loved ones but says she is comforted by knowing that they live on in her heart and through their gifts of life to others. Marge’s son passed away in 1999 due to a brain tumor a...
Elias Kluth
Elias Kluth passed away at the age of 15 months due to the result of an accident. Even at a young age, his mother Marisa said he had developed some breathtaking characteristics. “He had very big brown eyes, eyes that you didn...
Eric Barlament
Kari and Eric Barlament of Brillion, WI, were celebrating one of life’s greatest joys – preparing for the birth of their first child – when tragedy struck their family. While on the way to the store to shop for baby items, th...
Victor Lozada
Victor Lozada married the love of his life, Theresa, after having known her since he was nine years old. He then attended the University of Houston and joined the National Guard, but dreamed of having a career in law enforcem...
Bryant Dean
“On Thursday, May 20, 2010, my husband and I were two blocks from our home, and he was sitting on his parked motorcycle talking to me about our evening plans,” said wife Angelia Dean. “There was a pause in the conversation an...
Nick Oelrich
Steve Oelrich, Florida State Senator and former Sheriff of Alachua County, Fla., clearly remembers Father’s Day 1995. That was the day his 18-year-old son Nick was left brain-dead by a head injury suffered during a fall at a ...
Norma Jean Pierce
“My mother passed away very suddenly in 1992. She died of congestive heart failure, and was also a breast cancer survivor, ruling out her donation of organs. At that time I didn’t know anything about tissue donation, but we a...
Deanna Casey
Deanna was born with a smile as infectious as her laugh. As a child, she loved playing sports, being outside, socializing with the neighborhood kids and spending time with her family. Deanna orchestrated the family Fourth of ...
Robert Frost
When I was told that I could share my personal story about tissue donation I was excited, but I was also apprehensive because I wanted to make certain that everyone came away with the same positive feelings that I have about ...
Ralph Popp
Ninety-two year old Ralph Popp passed away in April 2008 after suffering from a massive heart attack at his granddaughter’s middle school volleyball game, the day before his 67th wedding anniversary. “He was in excellent hea...
Peter Jordan Pintens
“Dark brown eyes, shiny dark brown hair and a quick smile were Pete’s trademarks. Everyone who met Pete knew soon his friendliness, sense of humor and laugh. Some characteristics came from his mom, some from his dad, but Pete...
Christopher White
After Christopher White had graduated from Wisconsin Heights High School in 2001, he worked two part-time jobs so he could pattern his waking hours around hunting, fishing and golfing. His father, Jerry White, says he was mif...
Kenneth Klapperich
“My story is probably pretty common – about a girl that loves her dad. I was always his princess. Everyone knew I had him wrapped around my finger – and he around mine. We did so much together. We would travel and explore and...
David Bunk
“I lost my husband and my son lost his father very unexpectedly. Dave had just turned 60 on March 9 and passed away on March 22. It has been such a very difficult road to travel. Dave was such a giving and wonderful man and ...
Anthony "Nini" Varela
“My son Anthony “Nini” Varela was 18 years old when he passed away on August 8, 2010. He was my only son and the younger of my two children. At about 1:18 a.m. he was riding in an SUV with three of his friends on their way t...
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 o...
Mike Dunnam
Mike Dunnam was 22 years old when he was involved in a fatal car accident. “Mike, or ‘Mikey’ to me, was born ready to embrace life,” said his mother Valerie Fourtunia. “He was such an adventurer, full of love, always ready f...
Christina Pasewald
“We were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Christina, on March 25, 1984. On July 2, 2007, Christina was tragically taken from us when she took her own life. Christina was a beautiful girl, inside and out. Everyone loved her...
Gannon Grimmett
Coye Grimmett lost his son Gannon to heart failure at the age of 41. “Gannon was loving, caring, tender, generous and humorous,” Coye said. “He loved to do wood carvings and to learn new things. He was very spiritual.” Coye ...
Michiel Crabtree
Terri Crabtree lost her husband of 12 years, Michiel Earnest Crabtree, to a massive heart attack in January 2013. Mike had just turned 47 years old. “Mike was a very unique man; he thought of others before he thought of hims...
Jessica Mathews
Julie Mathews Adams lost her oldest daughter, Jessica, at the age of 21. “She came home from college to watch her younger sister march in the band, and the next morning she did not wake up,” Julie said. Jessica’s mom and sist...
Daniel Mataska
Daniel Ray Mataska died in his sleep in October 2012 at the age of 17. Daniel was mentally challenged and had epilepsy but didn’t have a seizure the night he died. According to his doctors, Daniel died of natural causes. “I ...
Corey Martinez
Kim Paine lost her youngest of three children, Corey Wayne Martinez, at the age of 21. Corey was involved in a single-car wreck and was texting while he was driving. “Corey loved life and made the best of every situation,” K...
Evan Hauk
Evan John Hauk was taken from the world too soon when he was preparing for a family fishing trip on July 6, 2011. He was using worm prods to search for bait in the backyard when he fell on top of a prod and suffered an electr...
Ron Earley
Kathy Earley lost her husband of 40 years, Ron Earley, to a massive stroke at the age of 62. “Ron was my very best friend!” Kathy said. The amount of love he had for her, their two sons, his daughters-in-law, and three grand...
Kenneth Lewis
Katrina Lewis lost her beloved husband, Kenneth Wayne Lewis, at the age of 49 due to a blood clot in his heart. “Kenneth was a very loving and kind-hearted person,” Katrina said. “He would do anything for anyone and not thin...
William Love
Betty Love lost her son and only child, 44-year-old William Love, in a motorcycle accident. “Will was my life!” Betty said. “From a small child, he was usually very happy and fun-loving.” He was on the gymnastics team in hig...
Winston Morris, Jr.
Winston Morris, Jr. passed away at age 55 of complications from head trauma following a fall. Debbie Morris, the wife of Winston, said he was very outgoing and always the life of the party. Winston had a beautiful baritone v...
David Resendez
Kelli Resendez lost her husband, David Resendez, to a heart attack due to congestive heart failure at the age of 42. David was a father of four and grandfather of three. David was smart, funny and a fun person to be around. ...
Ryan Jolley
Ryan Michael Jolley passed away at just five days old. He was born with severe Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), a condition in which the brain does not receive enough oxygen. Ryan was Ashlee Hammac’s second son. Her pr...
Meagan Rickman
At the age of 17, Meagan Rickman went into cardiac arrest during a surgery for placement of a pacemaker. Meagan was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare heart defect present at birth where the heart is critically...
Anthony L. Ciammitti
You never said I'm leaving. You never said goodbye. You were gone before we knew it & only God knows why. It broke our hearts to lose you but you didn't go alone, for part of all of us went with you, the day that God took...
Mike Erickson
Growing up, Mike Erickson played football and enjoyed the outdoors. Fishing, hunting, trail biking, canoeing, swimming, ice fishing – he loved them all. He was very quick-witted, with an exceptional sense of humor. His mother...
Derek Waterman
Patricia Waterman lost her son, Derek Allen Waterman, at the age of 26. His life was taken by an under-age drunk driver on February 16, 2014. Derek was on his way to pick up his four-year-old daughter when his life was taken...
Maria Fowlkes
Frank Fowlkes lost his wife, Maria, to cancer at the age of 66. “Maria was a saint,” Frank said. “She loved her children and husband dearly and only wanted the best for all of them.” Maria was a loyal and considerate person ...
Martin Colunga Jr.
Martin Colunga, Jr. took his own life at the young age of 28. “He was my husband and my best friend,” said wife Maria Amador. “He was a very loving husband and father and was loved by a lot of people,” she said. “He had the p...
Mack Caldwell
Carla Jones lost her husband, Mack H. Caldwell, to a massive heart attack at the age of 60. “He was always happy and just a joy to be around,” Carla said. “He rarely became upset and was easygoing, and enjoyed playing jokes o...
Jose Guadalupe Tijerina Vargas
Jouita Orzabal lost her son, Jose Guadalupe Tijerina Vargas, to a stroke on Oct. 12, 2013. Jouita said her son was outgoing, always tried to get people to laugh and had the nickname, "Lupe." Jose was the oldest of five broth...
Bruce Olson
“I had the pleasure of calling this man my father. Thirty years, nine months, 30 days, four hours and 45 minutes here on earth, we got to make memories,” said Josh Olson, son of Bruce Olson. “Time is the most precious commodi...
Robert Rickerd
Robert Rickerd was a loving husband and father of five children, ages two, three, eight, 12 and 21, but after suffering from a mental illness, Robert ended his live through a self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 13, 2014, a...
Gary Davison
As an avid gardener and handyman, Gary Davison knew how to fix, build and plant just about anything you put in front of him. His love for children and helping people was not overlooked. At the age of 63, this loving man passe...
Phillip Mattes
Philip “Fibber” Mattes was a cowboy at heart. Cowboy boots, cowboy hats, blue jeans and ratty old barn jackets were some of his favorite things. Mattes passed away at the age of 73 due to a seizure, which caused heart failur...
Amy Firth
“We were always a close-knit family, and nothing could have prepared us for Amy’s sudden and untimely death,” said John Henderson, Amy’s father. Amy Kathleen Henderson Firth, a mother of two who married her high school sweet...
Robert Toledo
Godzilla. Dr. Who. Comic Books. These were a few of Robert (Rob) Toledo II’s favorite things. Toledo, raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., passed away at the age of 33 from an interventricular bleed. Just like every Tuesday evening, Ro...
James Cantwell
Husband. Soulmate. Best friend. These are titles Terrie Cantwell gave to her husband, James Cantwell, who passed away at the age of 61 due to an enlarged heart that was three times its normal size. Terrie found James in their...
Bradley Michael Chavez
According to Maggie Holzhauer her son Bradley was full of life. “He was full of smiles and had a lot of fight in him. He was never a quitter, always stuck up for the underdog and would give the shirt off his back to help out ...
Morgan Daly
For donor mother Shannon Daly, her son Morgan’s story is an everlasting one. Although Morgan passed away tragically at the age of 20, he wanted to help others through donation and signed up to become a registered donor when h...
Abbey Conner
Abigail “Abbey” Mae Conner, a 20-year-old student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, passed away tragically from a pool accident. Bill Conner, Abbey’s father, described his daughter as a handful, a pistol and a smili...
Alfred Molina
Two days after Alfred Ray Molina Sr. celebrated his 60th birthday, he experienced a heart attack as he rested his head on the shoulders of his wife, Vicky, after a long day from work. Vicky and Alfred shared a fairy tale lov...
Kathleen Southard
Kathleen Southard was a very caring educator, always wanting to help others in need with a deep love for education. She passed away from a sudden heart attack at the age of 60. “Kathleen worked in education all her life,” sai...
Rebecca Perry
Rebecca Leeann Perry, a 22-year-old senior nursing student at the University of North Florida, was struck by a car when crossing the eastbound lane on her way to work early one morning. “She was a special, caring person,” sa...
Walter Joseph, Jr.
Walter Joseph, Jr., commonly known as “Rock,” became suddenly ill one night after participating in one thing he loved -- bowling. Andrea Joseph, Rock’s wife of six years and mate of 18 years, said he was bowling on a Monday n...