“When I first heard I’d need a heart transplant, I thought it was game over,” said Tyrone. His diagnosis of congestive heart failure left him feeling hopeless, convinced he wouldn’t have a future with his wife, Demetris, and their children.
At the time, Tyrone knew almost nothing about organ donation. Soon, he learned it would be his only hope.
When the call came that Tyrone had been matched with a heart, it brought a rush of mixed emotions. He understood that while his life might be saved, another family was living through an unimaginable tragedy. He later learned that his donor was a 14-year-old boy named Kyle, who had died in a car crash.
“As one of the people whose life was saved by Kyle, I know he lives on in me, and I am determined to live on with him. As Kyle liked to say: ‘I got this.’” Today, every member of Tyrone’s family is a registered organ donor.
Thanks to Kyle’s brave decision to donate life, Tyrone, Demetris, their children, and their entire family have a future together.