My son’s story may shed a different light on the Honor of Donor. Kaleb had led a rather wandering troubled life since a young teenager. His heart was good his choices were not. The past five years a change in his demeanor and attitude and his toying with drugs and alcohol landed in him Jail several times. The Intervention followed by Rehab in 2010 was successful for a while and relapse occurred worse than before…
I have experienced a mother’s worst nightmare, a call from a nurse saying, “You need to come now.” My 24 year old son had suffered a massive stroke and was on life support in a Fort Worth hospital. Brody Reville Fleming always marched to a different drummer. He excelled far more in athletics than academics! He always had a twinkle in his eye and a smirk of a smile that made you wonder what he…
My daughter Shelby Forester was my special gift from God and a true blessing, born prematurely on March 19th, 1994 weighing just three pounds. She spent the first month of her life in the NICU fighting for her first breath. As a toddler doctors prepared us for possible developmental delays and Cerebral Palsy. Against all odds Shelby was perfect in every way. We learned quickly that Shelby was just eager to live and make her…
Ted Eugene Foster, Jr. passed away on August 2, 2009 when he was 20 years old. He was killed in a tragic accident while at work. Even in death, his giving spirit is carried on by being an organ donor. His gift of life saved six lives including a 4 year old little boy. When I was told that my son had “suffered a catastrophic injury” and was brain dead, my world fell apart. But…
Michele Elise Friou lit up every room with her beautiful smile and her sweet laugh. She was always quick to volunteer her time and energy. Michele graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a degree in elementary education. She went on to excel as a teacher and was Teacher of the Year at her school in 2010. Although she was passionate about teaching, being a mother to her two sons, Travis and Collin,was…
Michael-Gene Robert Futch was a fun loving, family centered, 19-year-old with a passion for taekwondo and basketball. Michael’s other passion was helping others. He was kind and compassionate, even towards strangers. It wasn’t until the night of November 20, 2010, that our family had to make the decision for Michael to help others, as we know he would’ve wanted to. Michael had been in a tragic car accident that ultimately left him brain dead. As…
Jesse loved creating, nearly as much as he loved making people smile. He had an artist’s soul and a joyous spirit, both which left this world far too soon. His mother, Lynn, realized early on that her son possessed an artistic talent. At 6 years old, Jesse drew a picture of a mad scientist, complete with wiry hair, white lab coat, jars of potions and a crackling ball of electricity. His skill grew as he…
Ashley Garcia, born July 2, 1989 was made an angel way too early in June 2012 in a very bad car accident. She was a giving, caring person with a great sense of humor; everything became a laugh when she was around. Ashley loved everything Disney and music of all styles. Her siblings meant the world to her and she made a friend out of everyone she met. Five minutes with Ashley felt like a…
This is a story about a large family of eight who grew up in Beaumont, TX. My parents, Gus and Jeanne brought six children (5 daughters and one son) into the world and taught them many valuable lessons in life, most importantly, love and family. Fast forward to 1981, when I was hospitalized with first illness caused by a normally genetic in nature disease called Polycystic Kidney disease, which afflicts 13 million in the world….
Mary Jo (Martin) Gase, 44, died Sunday, April 3, 2011, from a brain aneurysm at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Mary was born on March 21, 1967, in Cedar Rapids, the daughter of George and Sandra (Broz) Martin. She graduated from Capri Cosmetology College in 1986 and was a cosmetologist and master designer at J.C. Penney’s for 25 years. Mary was a member of All Saints Catholic Church. Mary enjoyed making cookies, which…