GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The DMV in Green Bay is recognizing its role in helping people become organ and tissue donors.
On Wednesday, donor parents Todd and Shelley Persinger of Hobart attended the event remembering how the death of their son Chris and his decision to become a donor, changed their lives.
On December 2 2007, Chris Persinger was killed in a car accident at the age of 17. He was driving home with 2 friends after a trip to Wisconsin Dells when they hit a patch of black ice, lost control, crossed the center line and got t-boned by another car. All 3 boys died in the crash.
Prior to the accident, Chris had signed up to become an organ donor. Todd Persinger says knowing that his son made that decision at such a young age makes him very proud.
“That was the one thing I actually did know that he wanted, and as a father, I couldn’t help my son anymore but I could at least honor those wishes.”
Although Chris wasn’t able to become an organ donor because of the injuries due to the accident, he was able to be a tissue and eye donor. Because of that, he has helped 64 individuals better their lives including his sister Caitlyn.
After a sports injury, Caitlyn Persinger needed repairs to her ACL and meniscus. Doctors told Todd and Shelley that donor tissue was an option to reconstruct the affected area, which got them thinking about Chris’s past donation. After speaking with American Tissue Services Foundation, the Persingers found that there was one last tissue gift from Chris that was a match to his sister.
“It obviously gives us all a lot of peace. For Caitlyn it’s that one piece of tissue that supports her knee, but for all of us it supports so much more. He’s with her every day when she walks and it’s an incredible feeling,” says Shelley.
The first ever National DMV Appreciation week is this week, September 19-23. It’s was organized by Donate Life America.
Joyce Kratz is a member of Donate Life Wisconsin, a non-profit organization that promotes organ tissue and eye donation that works closely together with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Kratz says it’s about education.
“98 percent of Wisconsin residents that make the decision, actually do make the donation decision at the DMV. We’re out here really educating the public along with the DMV staff so that the stories are out there and the DMV staff feels comfortable,” says Kratz.
Anyone ages 15 1/2 or older can register to be a donor, regardless of health, gender, ethnic background or age.
Find out more about how you can become a donor at donatelifewisconsin.org.
