After 28-Year-Old Tragically Passed Away His Parents Were Sent A List Of Lives He Saved By Becoming An Organ Donor
Losing a loved one is a heartbreaking experience, especially if the death is sudden and unexpected. A 26-year-old New Jersey native Alexa Bassillo recently had to go through the sudden loss of her brother Daniel, only 2 years her senior. And while this tragedy was devastating to the family, they all managed to find strength in Dan’s final act of kindness as they chose to make him an organ donor.
“We didn’t even hesitate when they asked us if we wanted to donate. I don’t even think we really had to talk about it,” Alexa told Bored Panda. “I pray that you don’t lose the most important person in your life but if you can at the very least take that and turn it into something good.. why wouldn’t you want to do that?” she added.
Daniel Bassillo passed away on Monday, December 3, 2018, due to a severe asthma attack and just recently the family got sent a letter with a list of people who received Dan’s donations. “[His] death was so sudden and tragic it kinda helps to believe there was a reason he had to go which was that others could live. I hope he at least died for something bigger and I’m sure when my parents see that 6-year-old boy or hear my brothers heart beating in another mans chest it’ll be comforting for them” his sister explained.
This is the letter the family received, detailing all the recipients
“Thank you for making the selfless decision to give life to others. In the midst of your grief, you said yes to saving lives and restoring health to people in need. Families like yours give us renewed hope that kindness and generosity still exist.
We would like to share with you some information about the recipients of your son’s gift.
Daniel’s heart was transplanted into a 32-year-old male.
Daniel’s liver was transplanted into a 54-year-old female in New Jersey. She is married with one child. She was placed on the transplant waiting list in February of 2007. The liver had immediate function and she is expected to have a full recovery. Also a liver segment was transplanted into a 1-year-old boy.
Daniel’s pancreas and left kidney were transplanted into a 36-year-old male. He was placed on the transplant waiting list in November of 2018. The organs had immediate function and he is expected to have a full recovery.
Daniel’s right kidney was transplanted into a 6-year-old boy.
Daniel was also able to be a tissue donor. Donated tissue can dramatically improve the quality of life for those suffering from chronic pain and impaired mobility.
Please accept our heartfelt condolences for your loss. Our hope is that you find some comfort in knowing that these gifts have made an impact on others. Today, people awake to a new day because of caring families like yours.”
The loss was devastating to the family and while they found their silver lining, they want to celebrate Dan’s life through memories and the opportunities he gave to people in need. “He was the smartest person I know. He taught me everything from working on our Jeeps and him showing me how to change my oil and stuff like that. He taught me about superheroes and answered all my Game of Thrones questions along with literally any other question I’ve ever had” Alexa recalled. “I guess he was whoever he needed to be for the person who needed him. And [I’m] really blessed to be in the major part of his life and soo grateful that he was there all my life” she added.
Daniel’s case brings awareness to a real issue that could be changed if more people would simply consider it. According to U.S. Government Information on Organ Donation and Transplantation, there are more than 114k people on the national transplant waiting list as of August 2017. Statistics also show that 20 people waiting for a transplant die every day. And while 95% support organ donation, only 54% are signed up as donors.
People on the internet quickly responded with their questions and messages of support
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Share on FacebookI am now a retired recovery room nurse after 35 years and even though I was not on the transplant team whenever a donor arrived on our unit with machines still WHIRRING and staff performing CPR on their way into the operating room every one of The nurses would stop , lock eyes , and say a silent prayer for all the families fully aware of the magnitude of this gift. I hope you find extra comfort in knowing just how many people realized and appreciated your families and most of all your brothers ultimate gift of life.
In my country, everyone is theoretically organ donor by law. If you dont want to be a donor, you have to fill forms at office. But every doctors ask the living relatives before a pacient becomes donor and if they are againts donation, they wont procced to donations.
I seem to have this insatiable need to know how someone so young died. Not only the young, but everyone whose obit fails to mention the cause of death leaves me wondering how they died. I hope he died without pain and peacefully. If not, then quickly. Hell, I hope that for all of us.
It was in the comments below the story - severe asthma attack, so not really painlessly and peacefully, but at least quickly. Such a tragedy for his family, but at least they found some solace by donating and saving others.
Load More Replies...I admire every family which while facing loss of the loved one still decides to donate their organs. I believe it must be both painful and reassuring at the sime time. It seems to me that this is a more difficult decision than donating your own organs. I know that they'll always feel the loss, but I hope they will find peace in fact that their brother rescued few people lives.
As a 27 year old asthmatic patient that have the condition as long as i can remember,this scared me a bit.however the posiblity to save another person life counters the scary part...thanks for the story
This is so amazing... all the people you can save by giving one part of yourself to so many people when you don't need it. It's better these people and children are alive than the precious organs decaying in a grave.
Those damn ninjas cutting onions! My mom once said she wouldn´t allow anybody take my organs if I die young. But my NIC (national identity card) says I am an organ donor. I asked her and my sister let the doctors do their job so they can save someone. I know it´s hard for a family thinking about that possibility,but it´s important to understand that it´s not about death, it´s about giving life.
I'm amazed people in the US give out this much information. The UK donor system is completely anonymous, which I agree with more as it prevents emotional blackmail and extortion. I know my marrow went to a man with a family, and that'll ding dang do for me.
So sad but so beautiful at same time. My prayers are with you and your family for your loss. For the lives he saved I hope that they take the second chance and live life to the fullest and know how truly blessed they are. And for your family for your peace of mind I hope one day you get to meet them so that you can have some type of closure and you can see pictures or maybe you’ll be able to listen to his heart again beating on. Like the gentleman above said above your brother he was a superhero. The decision that you guys made that night was a brave decision and a very generous one and a beautiful one. Not everybody has that a heart of gold to do that. Now he can live on which is a beautiful thing. May God bless you and your family and I truly hope that you get to meet these families I’m sure it would make you very happy and I know there will be tears shed but I think they would be tears of joy. May God bless your family and again I’m very sorry for your loss my deepest condolence
I always intended to donate - blood, bone marrow, the lot. Then I got Crohn's Disease (then later Sarcoidosis/FMS) and found I'm not wanted. It's annoying in a way that there's this (now somewhat scarred/damaged) willing carcass and it'll go to waste unless I convince my family to donate it to a body farm or medical science.
As a kidney transplant recipient, family member of a donor (my father in 2010) and an Rn who speaks about transplant to all who will listen.... This is the *BEST!!* story on the internet and I pray that those who read it will talk to their family and make the choice to be a donor. They can do so while alive as well!!!!! The GIft of Life via transplantation of any type is the most humbling gift I have ever received. This family are heroes if I could I would say thank you for your love and generosity!
Most of my family have mentioned that they wish to have their organs donated. I want mine to be as well. I can't do blood donations though due to my veins being impossible to fine and barely draw blood anyway as a result of lots of blood tests from an early age.
My uncle is alive because of liver transplants. This is touching on a personal level. I hope to donate when I pass.
Well that made me start crying at my desk, NO NO SORRY it was an eyelash.
Can someone tell me how you become a donor for skin and eyes and whatnot. Do i just have to make sure my family knows
All of those are organs. If you are registered as an organ donor (you can register at the DMV in the US), any of your organs that can be used will be used, including your skin and eyes. If you are not able to be an organ donor, consider donating your body to science. I have a faulty immune system and probably will not be a good candidate for organ donation, so I have registered to donate my brain to science and have told my family that the rest of me can be donated to science, too. I am looking into what kind of registration, if any, that requires. No point in my family spending money to bury me or cremate me if my bits can be useful once I'm gone.
Load More Replies...Nothing can fill the hole in the family's heart, but I suppose the letter would be of great comfort to them. I love how it provided a bit of background for each of the recipient. Where I live, I don't think they disclose where the donated organs go, and it possibly make people less likely to donate.
I am now a retired recovery room nurse after 35 years and even though I was not on the transplant team whenever a donor arrived on our unit with machines still WHIRRING and staff performing CPR on their way into the operating room every one of The nurses would stop , lock eyes , and say a silent prayer for all the families fully aware of the magnitude of this gift. I hope you find extra comfort in knowing just how many people realized and appreciated your families and most of all your brothers ultimate gift of life.
In my country, everyone is theoretically organ donor by law. If you dont want to be a donor, you have to fill forms at office. But every doctors ask the living relatives before a pacient becomes donor and if they are againts donation, they wont procced to donations.
I seem to have this insatiable need to know how someone so young died. Not only the young, but everyone whose obit fails to mention the cause of death leaves me wondering how they died. I hope he died without pain and peacefully. If not, then quickly. Hell, I hope that for all of us.
It was in the comments below the story - severe asthma attack, so not really painlessly and peacefully, but at least quickly. Such a tragedy for his family, but at least they found some solace by donating and saving others.
Load More Replies...I admire every family which while facing loss of the loved one still decides to donate their organs. I believe it must be both painful and reassuring at the sime time. It seems to me that this is a more difficult decision than donating your own organs. I know that they'll always feel the loss, but I hope they will find peace in fact that their brother rescued few people lives.
As a 27 year old asthmatic patient that have the condition as long as i can remember,this scared me a bit.however the posiblity to save another person life counters the scary part...thanks for the story
This is so amazing... all the people you can save by giving one part of yourself to so many people when you don't need it. It's better these people and children are alive than the precious organs decaying in a grave.
Those damn ninjas cutting onions! My mom once said she wouldn´t allow anybody take my organs if I die young. But my NIC (national identity card) says I am an organ donor. I asked her and my sister let the doctors do their job so they can save someone. I know it´s hard for a family thinking about that possibility,but it´s important to understand that it´s not about death, it´s about giving life.
I'm amazed people in the US give out this much information. The UK donor system is completely anonymous, which I agree with more as it prevents emotional blackmail and extortion. I know my marrow went to a man with a family, and that'll ding dang do for me.
So sad but so beautiful at same time. My prayers are with you and your family for your loss. For the lives he saved I hope that they take the second chance and live life to the fullest and know how truly blessed they are. And for your family for your peace of mind I hope one day you get to meet them so that you can have some type of closure and you can see pictures or maybe you’ll be able to listen to his heart again beating on. Like the gentleman above said above your brother he was a superhero. The decision that you guys made that night was a brave decision and a very generous one and a beautiful one. Not everybody has that a heart of gold to do that. Now he can live on which is a beautiful thing. May God bless you and your family and I truly hope that you get to meet these families I’m sure it would make you very happy and I know there will be tears shed but I think they would be tears of joy. May God bless your family and again I’m very sorry for your loss my deepest condolence
I always intended to donate - blood, bone marrow, the lot. Then I got Crohn's Disease (then later Sarcoidosis/FMS) and found I'm not wanted. It's annoying in a way that there's this (now somewhat scarred/damaged) willing carcass and it'll go to waste unless I convince my family to donate it to a body farm or medical science.
As a kidney transplant recipient, family member of a donor (my father in 2010) and an Rn who speaks about transplant to all who will listen.... This is the *BEST!!* story on the internet and I pray that those who read it will talk to their family and make the choice to be a donor. They can do so while alive as well!!!!! The GIft of Life via transplantation of any type is the most humbling gift I have ever received. This family are heroes if I could I would say thank you for your love and generosity!
Most of my family have mentioned that they wish to have their organs donated. I want mine to be as well. I can't do blood donations though due to my veins being impossible to fine and barely draw blood anyway as a result of lots of blood tests from an early age.
My uncle is alive because of liver transplants. This is touching on a personal level. I hope to donate when I pass.
Well that made me start crying at my desk, NO NO SORRY it was an eyelash.
Can someone tell me how you become a donor for skin and eyes and whatnot. Do i just have to make sure my family knows
All of those are organs. If you are registered as an organ donor (you can register at the DMV in the US), any of your organs that can be used will be used, including your skin and eyes. If you are not able to be an organ donor, consider donating your body to science. I have a faulty immune system and probably will not be a good candidate for organ donation, so I have registered to donate my brain to science and have told my family that the rest of me can be donated to science, too. I am looking into what kind of registration, if any, that requires. No point in my family spending money to bury me or cremate me if my bits can be useful once I'm gone.
Load More Replies...Nothing can fill the hole in the family's heart, but I suppose the letter would be of great comfort to them. I love how it provided a bit of background for each of the recipient. Where I live, I don't think they disclose where the donated organs go, and it possibly make people less likely to donate.
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