A profound gift: Organ donations may offer solace amid loss

Sometimes something hits you so hard that it seems like you might never recover, never have the chance to make it right, never feel the same again.

For the Hackett family, losing 6-year-old Avery was that kind of blow.

Joe and Gena Hackett’s little girl died while undergoing brain surgery.

They could have let that death consume their lives. They could have let their grief stop them.

But they didn’t.

Instead, they decided to give life to another child.

The Hacketts donated Avery’s organs. And, because of that generosity, a 4-year-old girl got the liver she needed to survive.

You never really know when you are going to lose someone you love, or when you are going to have to make a decision that takes every bit of your courage.

It couldn’t have been easy to think about another child’s pain so soon after losing their own beloved daughter. Joe and Gena Hackett probably had little time to consider the question. Organ donation decisions have to be made quickly because of the procedures involved.

But like many other loved ones, parents, wives and other relations, this family chose to allow a little bit of their daughter to live on — and because of that, another family’s prayers were answered.

Organ donation is a simple matter. Tell the driver’s license office the next time you renew your license that you want a notation made that you want to be an organ donor.

A little heart will appear on your license.

Then, there is no decision to make, no stress for your family. If something happens to you, your wishes will be known.

Organ donation is a gift of life to someone who might not otherwise have a chance. It won’t erase the pain of loss, but it could offer a bit of comfort in knowing that a part of someone you love will live on in another.

Just ask the Hacketts.

Published in Editorials on July 25, 2005 10:56 AM