Four Families Thankful for Organ Donations from Late

NFL Player Chris Henry

William Browning, Yahoo! Contributor Network

In the lead-up to the Patriots-Lions 2010 Thanksgiving NFL game on CBS' "NFL Today" Nov. 25, there was a moving story about four lives touched by the late Bengals player Chris Henry. NBC Sports reports that, after the wide receiver tragically died in December of 2009, his mother Carolyn Glaspy arranged to have his organs donated.

Nearly a year later, CBS honored his memory with a video showing a first-time meeting Glaspy had with three men and one woman who received her son's organs. Glaspy said "I think this is my closure," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Other stories of organ donation have come from the ranks of athletes and celebrities. Here is how other stories of organ donation stack up to Chris Henry's gift of life.

Natasha Richardson

Another untimely death contributed to a gracious story of organ donation. Natasha Richardson passed away in March of 2009 after a skiing accident which caused bleeding between her brain and skull. When Richardson's body was taken off life support, husband Liam Neeson wanted to honor her life by donating organs, according to People magazine.

Neeson and his two sons were very strong in the wake of Richardson's death. A close family friend said her organ donations were very much like the causes Richardson fought for in her life, including AIDS research.

Everson Walls

Former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls donated a kidney to his friend and teammate Ron Springs in February of 2007. The standout led the NFL in interceptions for three years, according toThe Dallas Morning News.

The donation led to the creation of the Ron Springs & Everson Walls Gift For Life Foundation, which promotes awareness of organ donations. Walls' foundation also brings awareness to kidney disease and diabetes.

Mandy Patinkin

The star of "Chicago Hope" was given the gift of sight in 1997 and 1998 with corneal transplants. Patinkin suffers from Keratoconus, according to USA Today, an eye disease which deforms the cornea. The only permanent cure of Keratoconus is a cornea transplant.

Patinkin's donors were a 13-year-old boy for one eye and a 14-year-old girl for another. Patinkin told sources in 2001 he prays for those families every day because, in the midst of their tragedies, the Emmy-Award winning actor was given the gift sight.

Thanks for Giving

On this Thanksgiving, it is important to recognizeorgan donation as one of the ultimate gifts one can give to another. Modern organ donations are an expression of life which shows courage, sacrifice and the unwavering human spirit.

Henry's death was not in vain. Four families still have their loved ones this Thanksgiving because of just one person and his mother's act of courage in her time of ultimate tragedy.

Sources:

Florio, Mike, "Chris Henry's mother gets closure," NBCSports.com.

Los Angeles Times, "Lost life revives four others."

Tauber, Michelle, "Natasha Richardson's Organs Donated After Her Death,"People.

Ragland, James, "Donating a kidney makes Everson Walls an unusual, unselfish professional athlete,"The Dallas Morning News.

Moran, W. Reed, "Mandy Patinkin saves sight with corneal transplants,"USA Today.


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