They say we should live our best lives, but what if time runs out quickly?
Coralynn, a 2-year old baby who was tragically declared “brain dead”, underwent surgery to donate her organs after her parents made a selfless choice.
Her heart, liver and kidneys went on to save the lives of 3 people in the US.
Here’s the full post from the family’s GoFundMe page:
You can watch the emotional moment when hospital staff lined the hallways as she made her final journey to the operating theatre here:
Coralynn was taken to the Cresco Medical Clinic at Iowa after she experienced respiratory problems.
Paul and Meagan, her parents watched as doctors inserted a tube to sedate Coralynn as she struggled to breathe. Unfortunately, she couldn’t handle the procedure and her heart stopped.
The medical team performed a successful 25-minute CPR to save her life. She was later transferred to the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Minnesota.
The Metro UK reports that Coralynn suffered a brief battle with the parainfluenza virus. She had three cardiac arrests which led to a weakened immune system and respiratory issues.
Doctors say that she incurred brain damage and swelling before she was eventually declared brain dead.
Her parents made the difficult decision to donate their daughter’s organs.
They believed the donation would enable her memory to stay alive because she would be a superhero to other people.
On 23 April, Coralynn was wheeled in by the staff for an operation as the song “Amazing Grace” played in the background.
The video went viral with more than 9 million views and 80,000 shares on Facebook.
Coralynn undoubtedly made a big sacrifice.
The hospital staff solemnly lined up across the hallways as she made her way to the surgery.
Before the operation, her parents bid her farewell and hugged their young daughter for the last time.
Meagan, sobbed emotionally as she said repeatedly,
You get to save three people. I love you forever.
Coralynn’s heart was transplanted to a 1-year-old boy, her liver was donated to a 1-year-old girl while her kidneys were given to a 41-year-old woman.
Her sacrifice helped ensure that these 3 people would go on living, long after she left the loving embrace of her parents.
The family has started a fundraiser to cover Coralynn’s funeral costs with the goal of US$20,000.
At present, they have earned $5,033 but the funeral costs will be more than $8,000. You can visit their GoFundMe page here.
TODAY reports that Singapore needs more organ donations because the deceased-donor ration is surprisingly low, at about 5 donors per 1 million Singaporeans.
Coralynn’s story is heartbreaking but there are a lot of people who need organs in order to survive.
While her life was tragically cut short, her heroic death and legacy will continue to be remembered forever. She lives on in all of the lives she has saved and touched with her sacrifice.
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