Donor Services

Within very few hours of Aaron's death Cathy and I were responding to questions related to autopsy and organ donation. It was at the time of day when we might well have been asking Aaron if he was going to be home for dinner. Instead we were grasping for rational answers to what we knew were important but horrifying notions.
Aaron is our boy and this was not real. He'd be walking in the front door soon and asking in his fading Northwest accent "Whuts goin' awn?" We looked to friends and family for advice and settled on agreeing to organ donations.

Donor Services, www.rtidonorservices.org, is located in Madison. I think they are as kind as people can be. Within days of Aaron's funeral we received an inspirational letter telling us that Aaron's corneas were used and had given sight to more than one person. Two days ago the latest letter arrived. The efforts Donor Services makes to keep families informed is an act of mercy and no small task I suppose.

Between a 17 year old woman in California to a 75 year old woman in Colorado, there include a 36 year old in Indiana, a 35 year old in Tennessee, a 59 year old in South Carolina and 15 more people scattered around the US, Aaron's bone, heart valve, and tendons, are helping others. Thirty three bone tissues and tendons are still awaiting transplant. Skin can be used as a temporary covering for burned patients awaiting grafting procedures. Aaron's gift of skin is still waiting transplant.

Considering Aaron had friends from everywhere USA, and he was going to go live with many of them sometime after high school, it is appropriate that Aaron's adventure of life continues.

Tom