Day 5 of Legacy Tour

Janesville

In Janesville, we met a lot of Team Wisconsin members. We had young and old members meet up with us, some to share their stories, some to thank a donor family that was there and others just to talk to someone who had a similar experience.

The parents of Hailey Rath spoke about the loss of their daughter, but the comfort the opportunity to donate Hailey’s organs has been. On Dec. 10, 2005 Hailey was in a crash leaving her with significant head trauma. When the nurse at the hospital Hailey was taken to entered the critical care unit she politely asked if Hailey’s parents, Jeff and Lisa Rath, were organ donors. They explained they were and the nurse asked if they wanted Hailey’s organs donated.

“It was a very difficult decision,” said Lisa Rath. “Because that meant we were letting Hailey go.”

Hailey’s parents remember her love for animals and people and her big heart.

That heart went to a girl Hailey’s age in Michigan. A girl who, this year, was able to graduate because of the gift Hailey gave to her. A white rose sat on Hailey’s chair at her own graduation this year, placed there by her brother.

Hailey’s kidneys and liver stayed in Wisconsin, and her tissue touched the lives of 72 other people in need.

“It helps us in the grieving process, knowing what an impact our daughter has had,” said Jeff. “Life is a precious thing, not only to lose, but to pass on… It’s a tough thing, it’s a great thing, living everyday knowing Hailey has touched so many lives and saved three.”

Kaitlyn Simpson knows how precious the gift of a heart can be, she received one, twice. When Simpson was born she was missing the right side of her heart. In the hospital she slept 22 hours a day until she was 9 weeks old when she received a new heart. Things were going well, until she was four and a tooth infection attacked her immune system and then her heart. Simpson was back on a waiting list again. This time she waited six months. Now, her second gift of life is beating just fine.

“There’s nothing I can’t do,” said 12-year-old Simpson, standing in front of the crowd with a smile on her face and her mom and sisters cheering her on.

But Simpson’s story doesn’t end there.

“Life is so very precious,” she said. “I like to make a difference.”

So that’s exactly what she’s doing. Simpson takes photos of animals and sells them, raising money to vest police dogs. She has already vested two k-9 dogs and is working on her third. The vests cost more than $800 each.

With that, Simpson encouraged everyone in the crowd to make a difference too.

“Everyone here can make a difference as well,” she said. “You can choose to be an organ donor.”

After her speech, a number of people signed up on the online donor registry at the computer kiosks set up in the conference room of the Hedburg Public Library. (YesIWillWisconsin.org)

Also watching Simpson speak was kidney transplant recipient Ruth Armstrong. Armstrong received a kidney from her own daughter, who refused to accept the ‘no cure’ diagnosis her mother received more than two years ago.

“Hearing that I had a kidney disease with no cure it was like ‘Are you talking to me?!’” remembered Armstrong.

Armstrong’s daughter, a nurse, went online and found out her mom could live if she received a kidney. In March 2008, she gave her mother that gift.

“It was wonderful,” said Armstrong. “ I woke up and the fog was gone. My granddaughter was holding my hand, my daughter already walking down to the room saying, ‘Let’s go mom. Let’s go walking.’”

Armstrong said her already close relationship with her daughter is now even closer.

“We’re real buds,” she said.

And her family has learned to not take time for granted.

“I think the whole family, we live each day, we try to have fun each day.”

Armstrong is training to do the biking events in this summer’s Games.

Other team Wisconsin members at the event were Kellen, who received a kidney from his dad and will be swimming in the Games, Zachary who lifted his arms up in celebration as everyone in the room cheered, hearing he is a double lung, heart recipient all when he was only 22 months old and Wil, a kidney recipient who will be biking in the Games for his second time.

The Team Wisconsin members presented the Lion’s Eye Bank representatives with a panel of the donor quilt.

“It’s a really great project because Helen Keller asked us to be knights to the blind and I think this is a true knights to the blind project,” said Daryl Porter, Chairman of the Beloit Noon Lions.