Everyone should sign up to be an organ donor. No one wants to think about it, but it’s one of the most selfless things that anyone can do, as this story shows.

Kathleen Thorson’s fourth time giving birth was incredibly difficult. When she finally brought her son, Teddy, into the world, everyone was overjoyed.

Everyone hoped that Kathleen would recover in the coming days. Sadly, it was not to be.

Five days after the childbirth, Kathleen passed away.

She suffered from a brain bleed, and there was nothing that anyone could have done to prevent it.

But in life, Kathleen had been adamant about organ donation.

She knew that if she needed an organ to save her life, she would have gladly taken one. Therefore, she also knew that she and her entire family should sign up to be organ donors.

The doctors assessed Kathleen’s body, and they discovered that 12 individual organs were suitable to be transplanted into people who desperately needed them. And this was a big deal. The odds of being able to donate 12 whole organs to others is less than one in a million.

Of course, it was a terrible tragedy that Kathleen died so unexpectedly. But thanks to being an organ donor, 12 people would be able to enjoy life for longer.

“We would happily do anything it took to bring Kathleen back to us. But we are so grateful that someone else’s mother, daughter, father, friend, brother, sister, son or love will be coming home thanks to Kathleen’s ultimate sacrifice.” – Richard Stubbs, Kathleen’s friend.

Of course, medical confidentiality prevents the disclosure of who has received Kathleen’s organs. But it is a fact that in death, Kathleen has been able to save many lives.

To pay for Kathleen’s medical and funeral expenses, Kathleen’s family created a GoFundMe page. They initially aimed to raise $50,000. But people were so moved by her story that they ended up contributing a total of $128,000. With this extra money, the family is going to make a garden in Kathleen’s memory for her children to play in. Kathleen loved gardening, so they know that this is a perfect way to remember her.

And other kinds of donations have helped the family. For instance, Kristen Bell, the actress, was so moved by the story that she gave the family a year’s supply of diapers from her baby brand, HelloBello. And a family friend, who also recently gave birth, has pledged to donate her extra breast milk to Teddy so that he will be able to grow and develop healthily.

Many friends have also shared memories of Kathleen so that the world can know how amazing she was:

Of course, all that Kathleen’s family wants is to have her back. She was an incredibly kind person. It will be difficult for them to adjust to life without her. But they will always know that she was able to fulfill her wish of saving other people’s lives.

The family’s GoFundMe also listed ways that people can honor Kathleen’s memory. These things are as follows:

That list shows how amazing Kathleen was. Many of these activities are important components of a wholesome, fulfilling life. Everyone should strive to be like Kathleen.

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Source: Cafemom, Richard Stubbs/GoFundMe