When 12-year-old Derek Cisnero died in a car crash four years ago, his family made the decision to give the gift of life by donating his organs to five other people
IPR
Julie Knight (left) and Julie Freese (right) have been friends since their days as students at the University of Iowa. In December 2018, Freese donated one of her kidneys to Knight.
Julie Knight met Julie Freese in a candy store in downtown Iowa City in the early 1980s. Knight had been battling Type 1 diabetes since she was ten years old and says she felt like one of the misfit toys from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. After moving into a house together on Ash Street the two Julies, of course, became even closer. But their relationship only grew stronger after parting ways in Iowa City.
AJ TaylorJanuary 25, 2021Last Updated: January 22, 2021
Most north Iowans and southern Minnesotans usually don’t think about donating organs and tissue until the inevitable time comes. Leaving that decision for immediate family isn’t always fair because of the grief they are going through. That is why there is a push to get local residents to consider and sign up to donate organs and tissue ahead of time.
Heather Butterfield is a spokesperson for the Iowa Donor Network. She know the value of having these family conversations and making these decisions now.
People have a hard time bringing up the subject, especially young couples who may not be thinking about the future a long time down the road. Butterfield said to pick a time when the two of you can honestly discuss the idea.