Are You an Organ Donor?

My extended family received some terrible news Sunday afternoon. My first cousin’s son, Timmy Henley, was shot and killed during a drug deal in Atlanta Saturday night.

Timmy was only 33 years old. His life was marked by drugs, prison and many other problems. However, the last two or three years of his life were noted by a continual effort to overcome his addictions.

I last visited with Timmy on the night of October 15, the date of his grandfather’s (and my uncle) 80th birthday. Timmy visited with us for about three hours that night. I commented the next morning to my uncle how proud I was to see and hear of Timmy’s great progress. He had been drug free for almost a year, had a job and it seemed like he had turned a major corner in his battle against the demons of drug addiction. Little did I realize then that would be the last time I would see Timmy alive.

The authorities believe the execution-style murder was due to a major debt Timmy owed a local drug dealer. They believe Timmy’s friend was also set up for her execution as well. She, too, owed the drug dealer money. How tragic it is to think two lives were taken because of debt for drugs.

My uncle and cousin’s families are devastated. His funeral service will be this Thursday night in Knoxville, followed by a graveside on Friday morning. My mother and I will be heading that way very early Friday morning.

I called Timmy’s father and my first cousin, Danny Henley last night. Danny was so grief stricken he could hardly speak. Danny expressed a wide range of emotions throughout the call. He was so full of despair. He was also angry, angry enough to take revenge into his own hands. Thankfully his older brother helped him leave the murders in the Lord’s hands.

Even in the midst of tragedy, there are some glimmers of hope.

One shining ray of faith all of us share is that Timmy was born again a few years ago during his drug rehab treatment in Atlanta. He told his father and grandfather that one day during his rehab he got on his knees before God, admitted that he was a sinner and submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. For that decision we are all eternally thankful. Now, rather than just saying Timmy is gone, we can say Timmy is gone home to be with the Lord.

Another spark of hope that has encouraged us was that Timmy was an organ donor. Even though Timmy was pronounced brain dead upon arriving at the hospital, his heart continued to beat for several hours. Thus, the medical team was able to put his body on life support in order to harvest some of his organs for transplant patients across the country. The medical team honored a request Timmy made years ago after a terrible traffic accident where 30% of his body was badly burned. Soon after that wreck he noted on his driver’s license he wanted his organs donated.

Even in the midst of tragedy Timmy’s family can rejoice because…

• a 16-year old girl in Georgia was given a new hear
• a 30-year old man in Tennessee was given a new lease on life
• his stomach was given to a man in another part of the country
• Timmy’s large intestines were given to a grandmother battling cancer
• His corneas were donated to an 18-month old baby who could not see
• His bones, ligaments, tissue and skin were donated to various hospitals across the country.
• The only organs the transplant team could not use were his lungs because they had already started to fill with fluid

My cousin tells me an entire team of doctors, surgeons and nurses were on hand with airplanes waiting as they received each of these organs. Additionally, a nurse from the organ transplant group in Atlanta remained with Timmy’s body through the autopsy performed by the police coroner. She wanted the family to know that someone was with Timmy’s body at all times during this life-giving process. Danny said it was ironic how thankful he was even in the midst of all this tragedy.

I apologize for the graphic nature of today’s blog. I was compelled, however, to write this story in memory of Timmy and in honor of his life-giving donation to so many people. Yes, Timmy had his faults, foibles and sins. Don’t we all, though? The only difference between Timmy’s sins and many others was that they were so public.

Are you an organ donor? Many years ago I noted on my driver’s license that I wanted to be an organ donor. It is easy to do. Organ donors are live-savers. Timmy wasted many years of his life on drugs. Those years can never be taken back, yet nothing about his life was wasted in his death. Even in his death, Timmy was a life-saver.

To learn more about being an organ donor, click here.