Donating loved one's organs can bring solace amidst grief of loss, families say

Brandon Sun | Sheryl Ubelacker


Photo: Kim LeBlanc holds a phto of her late son Tyler Schwering, 15, in Fergus, Ont. on Wednesday, June 13, 2012. On one side, there is joy: up to eight people and their families whose prayers for a life-saving or life-altering transplant have been answered. On the other is sorrow: a family grieving the loss of a loved one who made all those miracles possible. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley

On one side, there is joy: up to eight people and their families whose prayers for a life-saving or life-altering transplant have been answered. On the other is sorrow: a family grieving the loss of a loved one who made all those miracles possible.

Though privacy reasons will likely keep them from ever knowing one another's identities, donor families say sharing that unbreakable, if anonymous, bond can bring great solace, even in the midst of so much heartbreak.

For Kim LeBlanc, knowing that her 15-year-old son Tyler Schwering's organs, eyes and other tissues have given life or healing to others is helping her cope with the loss of her child, who was struck by a transport truck in Guelph, Ont., on May 31.

"I read about Helene Campbell," says LeBlanc, speaking of the 21-year-old Ottawa woman who received a life-saving double-lung transplant in early April and was making a remarkable recovery less than two months later. "When we were up in the hospital, I heard people talking about it — and what an incredible story.

Read more: http://www.brandonsun.com/lifestyles/breaking-news/donating-loved-ones-organs-can-bring-solace-amidst-grief-of-loss-families-say-159462175.html?thx=y

{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}