Jason Patrick

According to Heidi Patrick, the decision she made to donate a kidney to her good friend Jessica Spore “really was pretty quick.” Testing had confirmed that the two were a match, so they went forward with their respective surgeries.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do, and I wanted to help,” Heidi said.

Throughout the donation process, her husband, Jason, was her biggest supporter.

Just seven months later, Jason was fatally struck by a car while walking into work. With Jason’s strong belief in donation, Heidi knew he would want to help others. Like his wife had before him, Jason shared life with others, becoming an organ and tissue donor. Through the process, Jessica stood by Heidi and her family.

“It was very sad, but you want to honor his legacy, and he was a very giving person, so it fit that he became a donor,” Jessica said.

About a year after he passed, Heidi received a letter from one of Jason’s tissue recipients sharing what their gifted tissue meant to them.

“It’s still sad, but to hear the positive impact on other people is amazing,” Heidi said.