The Circle of Life

Unbeknownst to his family, a self-described “ordinary man” determined to do a remarkable thing. He created an advance directive stating that if he were unable to communicate his wishes, he did not want any extraordinary measures taken to save his life.

As he lay dying, breathing solely with the help of a ventilator, his family made the difficult but correct decision to honor his wishes by removing him from life support. Only then did they learn of the powerful life support he provided to grateful beneficiaries. This 61-year-old hero had registered to donate his organs and the rest of his body.

Reeling from his death, the man’s wife was initially distressed to envision her beloved husband’s body being torn asunder. Then she learned that two people had each received one of his kidneys.

Giving the gift of life through organ donation is something you can easily do by registering with the Donate Life California Registry at www.donatelifecalifornia.org. That little pink DONOR circle on your driver’s license can keep someone else alive when you are gone. It truly represents the Circle of Life.