Dying woman's 'walk of honour' before organ donation breaks hospital record

For over 20 years, Carla Peaks has impressed her husband and continually amazed him with her courage. Her strength and resilience knew no bounds. Even after her death, she awed everyone with a record-breaking “march of honor” before her organs were donated.

The morning of June 11, 2024 will forever be remembered by Chuck Peaks, 49. Newsweek He recalls his beloved wife complaining that her legs hurt. She was a healthy mother of three, so he didn't think much of it at the time, but within hours their lives had changed forever.

Carla was out of breath, had trouble standing and collapsed in the hallway, and Chuck waited “what felt like an eternity” for paramedics to arrive before taking his wife to the hospital.

Later that day, Chuck, of Richmond, Virginia, watched as Carla was unable to keep her pulse going and was hooked up to machines to keep her alive: She had a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that can block blood flow to the lungs and cause the heart to stop.

“I was devastated and she never came out of the coma,” Chuck said. “Doctors think the pain in her leg may be due to a blood clot forming, but they're not sure.”

“I saw a neurologist on the second, third and fourth days of hospitalization. During each visit there was no reaction to stimulation, but by the third visit the neurologist let me know how serious the situation was.”

On June 15th, Chuck received the devastating news that his wife of almost 19 years was brain dead and that he must begin making preparations for her death.

Honor Walk for Organ Donors

Chuck and Carla had spent 21 years together – half her life – raising three children, ages 20, 13 and 11. Now the family was reminded of how fragile life is, and Chuck had to imagine life without his best friend.

But Kara had another gift: she was an organ donor, and saved several lives after she lost her own.

To commemorate her achievement, family, friends and hospital staff lined the hallways at 2:30 pm on June 19 to take part in a “march of respect.” Many stood in awe as she was taken to her hospital bed for her organ harvesting surgery.

Before the march in Kara's honor, the hospital told Chuck that the largest number of participants they had ever had was 40. But Kara's final march drew more than double that number, setting a new record.

“At that point she was technically dead and still on machines keeping her alive, but about 80-90 people took part in an Honor Walk for her, including hospital staff and 47 friends and family who came together to support her,” Chuck said. Newsweek.

“All I felt in that moment was sadness. Looking back, half the tears were tears of sadness, but the other half were tears of joy and pride. So many people were there for her and for the amazing gift that she is sharing with the world.”

More than 100,000 people National Transplant Waiting ListThe importance of organ donation should never be underestimated: According to Donate Life America, 5,600 people die each year while waiting for an organ transplant, with 86 percent of those people waiting for a kidney transplant.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives, a cornea donor can restore sight to two people, and a tissue donor can help up to 75 people.

With one person added to the nation's transplant waiting list every eight minutes, the demand for more donors remains great, but Donate Life America highlights the incredible progress already made: The United States will achieve its 1 millionth organ transplant in 2022, more than any other country.

In 2023, more than 23,000 organ donors gave their donors a second chance at life.

“It doesn't cost anything to save a life”

While Chuck is still recovering from the loss of his wife, many people honored her with a special moment captured on video that he will always remember fondly. Shared on Reddit (u/fishfarm20) On June 20th, he posted this to show how amazing his wife was until the end.

“I was so moved by this experience and so proud. I felt like everyone needed to see her selfless act,” Chuck said. “I'm so happy to have been a part of her life for 21 years and all the people she touched throughout her life and to see her die.”

“There have been a lot of comments on the post saying that because of her, people are either thinking about or have already changed their stance on organ donating, which is fantastic. If you can, please become an organ donor – it costs nothing to save so many lives,” he added.

Chuck, who is also an organ donor, hopes his wife's story highlights the difference organ donation can make, even though not everyone is eligible. His wife had signed up to donate before she met him, but she made it clear to him how important it was to her.

After the touching video was shared on Reddit, it garnered more than 65,000 views and 2,600 comments within days, with people expressing their gratitude to Cara and the entire Peaks family.

“My sympathy for your loss. May you find some comfort in knowing that a part of your loved one lives on,” one comment read.

Another person replied: “It's one thing to be a superhero while you're alive, but it's another level to be a superhero after you're dead.”

A third user commented: “My condolences. Your wife did such an amazing and selfless thing. Such a beautiful woman.”

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