Heart transplant performed on a male patient in his mid-40s

However, Howe's blood did not stop that day. My heart didn't stop beating either. Like many of us, Howe was an organ donor. As a result, he remained on life support.

Tuesday, September 24, was the day doctors retrieved Howe's organs in the hospital's operating room. His right kidney was then transplanted to a woman in her 60s in Virginia. His left kidney, liver and heart were taken to other states, to male patients in their 40s, 50s and 70s.

It's safe to say that thanks to Howe's death, the other four will be celebrating the winter holidays with their loved ones. And that was more or less the gist of an unusual news release issued by Carilion Clinic in conjunction with Mr Howe's family last week.

It could easily have been titled “Jimmy Gift.”

Howe “recognized the importance of organ donation and registered as early as possible, at age 16,” the release states. “For Jimmy's family, his act of generosity brought solace, knowing his gift gave others more time with their loved ones. His story… It is a powerful reminder of how one person's decision, and one program, can transform loss into new purpose.”

Thursday I sat down with his parents to discuss their son.

“That's what Jimmy would have wanted,” said his mother, Vicki Grant. “He was the kind of person who would give someone a Christmas present as soon as he knew they needed one. Jimmy never knew a stranger.”

Her father, Louis Howe, said, “I still don't know if this work really touched my heart or if it has penetrated deeply.At the age of 30, I had just gotten married, had a child, and moved on with my life.'' “I was just getting started,” he said.

“The fact that he was able to donate his organs and save another person's life was just 'Jimmy',” said Riley Marter, his best friend of 20 years. He was someone who always gave everything he could to his friends. ”

Roanoke Memorial Hospital has not performed any transplants yet, but hopes to gain approval for a kidney transplant program in the near future. Nevertheless, there is a strong organ donation program for transplants performed elsewhere.

The hospital is a member of LifeNet Health, a federally chartered nonprofit organ procurement organization to which most hospitals in Virginia belong.

Lifenet works closely with hospitals, coroners, law enforcement, and transplant centers to facilitate organ transplants from the dying to the critically ill. However, human organs have a very limited shelf life, and this requires considerable coordination and logistics.

“Our mission is to save lives, restore health and give hope,” said Lifenet spokesperson Dan Shah.

For the third consecutive year (2024), Roanoke Memorial donated more life-saving organs from deceased donors (119) than any other LifeNet partner in Virginia. According to Carillion, the number of donors this year totaled 47.

“Organ donors are heroes and we have witnessed many moments of selflessness and generosity throughout the past year,” said Afton Jamerson, Carilion's Trauma Program Director.

“It is not uncommon for Level 1 trauma centers to partner with donors and their families to give the gift of life, but what is unique is the ability to educate care teams, families, and patients to avoid missing out on life-saving opportunities. This is Carilion's intensive commitment to support.

Alex Brendel, Community Hospital Services Coordinator for Lifenet Health, noted that one donor can save the lives of up to nine other donors. However, even if a donor pre-registers, “the entire process is complex and requires the cooperation of the care team and entire family to make organ donation a reality.”

Howe grew up in Roanoke County. He and his younger brother Billy attended Oak Grove Elementary School, then Hidden Valley Junior and then Hidden Valley High School.

Both boys grew up playing youth sports. In high school, Jimmy wrestled and played football for the Titans. And some of his athletic accomplishments were featured in the Roanoke Times sports page, especially during his senior year.

After college, Howe attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. According to his mother, he was interested in both psychology and business.

However, he was diagnosed with diabetes and dropped out of school by the third year. Jimmy's symptoms were so bad that he needed insulin injections twice a day, Grant said. And this condition often led to complications.

Hypoglycemia was particularly dangerous. If it's too low, Jimmy may pass out. It happened one night when I was with friends at a restaurant in Salem. He fell backwards and landed on his head, fracturing his skull.

The resulting traumatic brain injury required surgery, and surgeons placed a metal plate in Jimmy's skull. The injury caused him to suffer from seizures and require medication in addition to his diabetes.

At some point after high school, Howe became interested in music and taught himself to play the guitar and keyboard. He formed a band with other musical friends and performed at parties. And he also wrote some music.

One is an easy listening song called “Time.” Howe recorded it on Soundcloud, and it's kind of catchy. You can listen online.

And that brings us to September 24, four days after Howe's brain death and the day his organs were “retrieved” at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. By then, Lifenet had an organ transporter in Roanoke.

In cases like Howe's, the hospital's care team hosts a formal procession called an “honor walk.” Its purpose is to “recognize organ donors, express gratitude for their gift, and line the hall as family and friends join donors as they make their way to the operating room to give the gift of life.” said a Carillion news release.

With the blessing of his family, Howe's care team played his own song, “Time,” during his honor walk. One of those in attendance was Riley Murtagh, Howe's best friend of 20 years.

“It was very surreal,” Marter said. “On the one hand, it was a nice gesture in honor of Jimmy and I felt very respectful. On the other hand, it was kind of strange to be walking through and processing his death and the causes of it. Ta.

“We all felt weird, but we were grateful that he gave us that moment,” Murtaugh added.

“There was so much love there as I walked down the hallway,” Vicki Grant said. And hearing Jimmy's song played during the procession made it even more beautiful, she said.

“It was a good farewell.”