It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving when Kathryn Hart’s life took an unexpected turn. Prior to that day, Hart was the epitome of an active individual. She was a runner, a yoga enthusiast, a horseback rider and an artist who painted and sculpted large pieces. Her active lifestyle was threatened however, when on that Sunday in 2004 Hart fell two stories from a ladder, shattering her leg.

“It was completely and totally shattered. The doctor told me he stopped counting after two dozen pieces of bone,” said Hart.
As a market researcher, Hart had worked in the donation industry, even doing research for the tissue bank that provided her allograft bone.

“I knew that I would probably need donor bone, so I asked specifically about it,” said Hart. “In my fever and drug-induced state, I asked the doctor if he planned to use donor bone and if so, whose it was. He responded with, ‘Who are you?’”

Though the main injury was her shattered leg, Hart’s body responded to the inflammation caused by the fall with a fever of over 104 degrees.

“They kept me in the hospital for a week because my fever was so high,” said Hart. “I was packed in ice until my fever lowered, so they could go ahead with the surgery.”
Once her fever was down, Hart was in the operating room for five hours as doctors repaired her leg. All doctors could tell her was that she would walk again.
Running and yoga like she was accustomed however, was still in question.

“The recovery was horrible and very painful,” said Hart. “My leg swelled up to four times its size.”
To cope with being on crutches for five months, she continued to do yoga with one leg. When those five months came to an end, she finally started walking again.

“Ultimately, I healed very successfully,” said Hart. “The accident happened at the end of 2004, by May of 2005 I was walking and six months after that, I started jogging again.”
Though Hart was already a registered donor and familiar with the donation industry, she felt especially motived after her surgery.

“Even if I didn’t know the industry, I would be a huge advocate for donation based on the results of my surgery alone,” said Hart.
A year after she received donor bone, Hart was back to running, yoga, painting and sculpting.

“The decision these donor families make is a really, really big one,” said Hart. “Because of the person and family who donated this bone, I am allowed to live my life in the unique way that only I can. Each of us has a special gift to give, and I can give mine thanks to this donor.”

“In the fall of 2009, I began having pain and swelling in my right knee,” said Richards. “By January 2010, I was unable to ski or play tennis.”

Soon the pain in her knee began impacting her everyday activities.

“I found that the long hours standing and working out with my team were becoming increasingly painful,” said Richards. 

After going through physical therapy, Richards still found no relief from the constant pain.  As a result, she opted for surgery to repair what was thought to be a torn meniscus.

“During the surgery, my doctor discovered a hole in the meniscus,” said Richards.   “During a subsequent consultation, he told me that the only cure would be a tissue transplant.”

Richards planned to delay the surgery until after her long-awaited family vacation to Alaska.  After an increase in pain and swelling however, she decided to move forward with the process. Richards was advised to stay near home so when a match became available, she could head into surgery.  While with her team in the Pocono Mountains, Richards got a call saying a donor had been secured.

“My team and other coaches knew I was waiting for a call and gave me a big send off as I left to return home.” 

Due to the intricate nature of Richards’ procedure, she was unable to put weight on her leg for six weeks.  During those six weeks, she wore a brace that extended from her ankle to her upper thigh. Richards used the brace as a way to start conversations about tissue donation, even conversing with local doctors.

After six weeks, Richards removed the brace and for the first time put limited weight on her donated meniscus.

“I had absolutely no pain and was able to walk unassisted within two days,” said Richards.

After rebuilding her strength through regular exercise, Richards returned to playing tennis in the spring of 2011.  That same summer, Richards and her family made it to Alaska for their long-delayed vacation.

“We took our postponed trip to Alaska for three weeks during that summer and I was able to hike, horseback ride and raft without worry,” said Richards.

Because of the gift of donation, Richards has a new approach to life.

“I feel I was given a huge gift from the tissue donor and want to respect that gift by doing my share to stay healthy” said Richards.

Richards continues to speak openly about organ and tissue donation to friends, family and the cheerleading team she once coached.

“I hope that seeing me benefit from the generosity of a stranger would set an example for them and their families to dothe same,” said Richards.

After making a full recovery, Richards continues to be grateful for the gift. “If I was able to speak to my donor, I would be humbled by their selfless contribution,” said Richards.  

 “I’ve always believed that the measure of a person’s life is not the job they held, the “titles” they’ve earned, or the outward trappings of “success” that they have acquired, but rather the lives they have touched along their journey.”

“Everything I’ve done since the transplant and all that’s to come are because of the tissue donor family. The allograft gave me a second chance to fulfill an unrealized destiny.” May Chen, fresh tissue recipient

“If I was able to speak to my donor, I would be humbled by their selfless contribution.” Barbara Richards, meniscus recipient

“We pray for that family and realize that while our life normalizes, there will always be an empty seat at their holiday tables. There are a lot of people in my life that are aware of that, and I am not hesitant to share the story.” Margie Mayfield, ACL recipient

“I believe the body is the human’s earthly vessel. Our deceased loved ones are hopefully in a wonderful place; their tissue is no longer needed by them. I honor whoever is selfless enough to understand that.” Connie Hilger, ACL recipient

“I’m thankful to be alive. I want to try new things. I see life in a whole new way.”Manuel Salazar, skin and bone recipient

“This may not be a surprise, but I am a full anatomical donor. If something were to happen to me, I plan to pass this gift on to others.” Kurt Person, ligament recipient

“Since the transplant I have been able to play and run around a little more. For this I am grateful to you and your loved one. My family and I will remember your act of kindness and generosity.” 12-year-old  Devin Katacinski, skin recipient

While testing the brakes on an all-terrain vehicle as part of his occupation, Person crashed, severing the four main tendons and ligaments in his shoulder.

“I was told a break would have been easier to fix,” said Person. “After a month of immobilized healing, it became clear that a total reconstruction would be needed to restore the arm and shoulder function.”

What Person didn’t know was that somewhere, someone who had lost a loved one had donated tissue, making the reconstruction of his shoulder

“I was at home recovering when a postcard arrived in the mail,” said Person.  “Up to this point, the only information I had about the surgery was that it took twice as long as expected.”

The postcard he received told Person that someone donated the tissue that was used to repair his shoulder and “What a gift,” said Person. “I will remember this gift each time I throw a ball, ride a bike or just try to keep up with my active family.”

After less than six months, Person’s rebuilt shoulder is nearly 100 percent back to normal.

“My only limitation is that my fastball is not as fast as it used to be,” said Person.  He can, however, throw a ball with his sons again.

“This may not be a surprise, but I was a full anatomical donor,” said Person. “If something were to happen to me, I plan to pass this gift on to others.”

The fall resulted in a broken tibia, or shin bone. Doctors recommended that she have surgery to repair the bone, as it was not likely to heal well enough on its own. The surgery involved implanting a steel plate against her bone for structural support. Additionally, after finding osteoporosis in the bone during surgery, the doctor chose to also transplant bone grafts from a deceased human donor into Jane’s injured bone to allow it to strengthen over time.

An unfamiliar concept to Jane, she questioned her doctor about the bone tissue transplant.

“I asked the doctor if compatibility studies had been done,” Jane said. “He explained that contrary to organ transplants, it was not necessary.”

The surgery was successful and next Jane began the slow healing process, which involved a walker, physical therapy and new medication to treat her osteoporosis. She could not put weight on the leg for eight weeks while it healed. However, she knew the process could have taken even longer had she not received the bone graft transplant, and she could have encountered other complications.

To Jane’s delight, following her transplant and healing period she has experienced a full recovery and is back to enjoying myriad outdoor activities in Colorado. When she was approached to write a thank-you letter to the family of the donor that provided her bone graft, she jumped at the opportunity.

“It brought tears to my eyes. It was so sweet and poignant to be able to express my appreciation for what their loved one had done and how it improved my life,” said Jane. “My husband has had a corneal transplant, which was very successful.  There was no opportunity at that time to express our thanks, which is why the letter I wrote meant so much to me.”

Jane continues that if she could, she would tell her donor: “my heartfelt thanks. I would feel privileged to donate tissue myself, especially considering the fine example I have benefitted from.”

Courtesy of the Limb Preservation Foundation. Support Woody by following him on his Facebook page.