Family to meet child who received son's organs

Peter Ostrow, MD
Posted by: Eli George

FRANKLINVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - In 2008, a little boy from Franklinville became an organ donor after a tragic accident.

This week, his family will meet the little boy whose life was saved by that donation. Erik Peterson was only 5-years-old when he suffered a fatal injury.

Erik's dad, Jeff, said, "He was airlifted to Women and Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead, brain dead, and he became a donor that night. The hospital staff asked us if we would consider organ donation."

Erik's mom, Pam, said, "It wasn't a hard decision for us. I knew as soon as they pronounced him that I wanted to do that because I knew that's what he would want. He was always a loving, caring little boy."

The gift of life is precious, and there aren't enough donors for those in need. Each year, thousands of Americans die while waiting for a kidney, and the number has been steadily increasing. The number of living donors has been increasing. William Thomas was one of them.

"You have two of them; you only need one. And the Native Americans have a saying, 'If you have something you don't use, give it away,'" said Thomas.

Jeff explained, "We want to get the word out how important it is to be a donor and how many lives can be changed by donating your organs."

The Peterson's were invited to ride in this year's Rose Bowl Parade, in a float honoring organ donors, and to meet A.J., a California boy who received some of Erik's organs.

"It was a tragic time, but I knew something good could come out of it," said Pam.

Jeff said, "I'm very excited to be able to see this young boy, and to see the good side of what happened. It's been very hard on us, and to see the good side of it will bring a lot of healing to us."

More organ donations could save thousands of lives, and something good could come out of many tragedies. It's as simple as signing the back of your driver's license, or letting your loved ones know you want to donate.

Doctors check to make sure you're very healthy before allowing you to donate, and over the long term, people with only one kidney after a donation are no more likely to have kidney problems. And to be a proper match, all you need is a compatible blood type.

For more information on donating, you can visit the Western New York Kidney Connection , the United Network for Organ Sharing , or MatchingDonors.com .