An off-hand comment from his wife has stuck with Kim Messenger since it happened 17 years ago.
“We were at the stoplight over here by Burger King, and for some reason all of us, the boys and I were in the truck, and she said, ‘If something should ever happen to me, let them take what they can use and cremate me and bring me home.”
Messenger’s wife Karen was referring to her wanting to be an organ donor.
Having to make a decision like that seemed like a very far off choice for the Rhinelander man.
He never thought it would be a month later when Karen died of a stroke.
“It was not an easy choice, but a comforting choice to know that I fulfilled her final wishes,” said Messenger.
Karen’s liver, pancreas, kidneys, and heart went to people in Wisconsin and surrounding states.
Messenger has met some of the people that received Karen’s organs, including a girl from southern Wisconsin that got her pancreas and kidney.
“Her mother said they transplanted it and her color came back. She had her daughter back from near death by a total, complete stranger. She was from Janesville. We were from northern Wisconsin. Never met, never. That's what it’s all about,” said Messenger.
Messenger and staff stood in front of Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital on a sunny, breezy day to raise a Donate Life flag.
“The Donate Life flag was first introduced by Donate Life America in 2006. Since then, it has become a national symbol of unity, remembrance, and hope, honoring those touched by donation and transplantation,” said Ra’Chell Lucas, director of nursing for Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital.
According to Donate Life, another person is added to the organ donor waitlist every eight minutes.
In the nearly two decades since his wife’s death, Messenger has been advocating for people to register to be organ donors.
Even if you don’t, he encourages you to talk to your family about what you would like to happen.
“We weren't registered at the time,” said Messenger. “You're talking death. I mean nobody wants to talk death, but wake up, we're not coming out here alive. But at least tell your family, because to be totally honest, I don't know if I could have donated if she hadn't told me.”
There are more than 1,600 people in Wisconsin alone on the national organ transplant list.
People can register to be an organ donor at any Wisconsin DMV or heroicdeed.com.
April is National Donate Life Month.
