The Harrington Family

Frinda Harrington had a great smile, says her son Shawn Harrington, a 27-year-old truck driver and aspiring professional basketball player in Chicago. "People said she could light up a room," he says. He also remembers his mother as a loving, generous woman who, as a single parent, instilled strong values and respect in him. "She was always giving to others, giving in any way she could," Shawn says. "That's the one thing that she always taught me: to always give and appreciate."

Frinda was 43 when she fell victim to a home invasion and died from her injuries. Shawn and his mother had not discussed organ and tissue donation. But when a representative of Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network asked Shawn how he felt about consenting to donation for his mother, Shawn decided that it was the right thing to do. "If she was here, and she was asked to donate, I know she would."

Frinda's donation helped three people: A 53-year-old man received her liver, a 56-year-old woman received her left lung, and a 61-year-old woman received her right lung. Discovering how quickly her gift saved others made Shawn realize that encouraging donation was an important message to spread, especially to the African-American community. "My mother helped three people," he says. "Her gift of giving still lives on."

The Tomasello Family

"People who aren't getting organs are dying", says Angelo Tomasello, a 49-year-old consultant from Naperville whose teenage daughter became an organ donor. "It's a shame, because it's a lack of education and not a lack of desire that prevents people from donation. I believe in donation awareness, and I believe that we can make a difference. If we educate more people, and make a dent in the numbers on the waiting lists, then it's worth it."

Angelo lost his 17-year-old daughter Celeste to an automobile accident. "I would give anything to have Celeste back with me," Angelo says. Donating Celeste's organs was not only the right thing to do, says Angelo, but it gave others a chance at life even though Celeste had lost hers.

Celeste's left kidney and pancreas went to a 38-year-old husband and father. A 52-year-old wife and mother of four was the recipient of Celeste's right kidney. Her liver was transplanted in a 3-year-old boy, and her cornea and various bone segments were transplanted in several donor recipients. It wasn't until after Angelo became involved with Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donation Network and its Donor Family Advisory Council that he realized "due to the nature of the accident my daughter could have easily needed an organ instead of being in a position to give one."

Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network

"Here at Gift of Hope, while the circumstances are tragic, at least there's an opportunity to shed a positive light on things - we can offer a family some hope through organ and tissue donation," says Kate Pianetto, Family Support Services Supervisor for Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, "That people can think about helping others at the worst time in their lives restores my faith in humanity."

Formerly a hospital development coordinator with Gift of Hope, Kate began working with donor families in 1999. She took on the tremendous responsibility of requesting consent from families for organ and tissue donation, supporting donor families throughout the donation process and providing information to families regarding grief and counseling.

Kate also serves as a liaison between donor families and their recipients and works with Gift of Hope's Donor Family Advisory Council to assist the organization with its services to donor families. The council is made up of donor families who offer invaluable advice and feedback to help Gift of Hope improve upon work. "We are a much better department because of their input. It makes me very proud of the work we do," Kate says.

View the 2003 Organ Donor Commercial.