A fountain of hope
Grieving families find solace in lifesaving donations
TWO Burdekin families who are still grieving the sudden loss of loved ones have come together to urge people to donate their organs.
Lenny Caltabiano and Taylah Pearson may not have had a lot in common in their lives, but both of their families proudly held their photos at the colouring of the Ayr Fountain this week to raise awareness about organ donation.
Natalie Caltabiano’s father Lenny, 51, died suddenly in October 2018, but that tragic day she says her family were able to provide a miracle someone else had been waiting for.
“We didn’t get the best news that day obviously finding out that Dad was gone but he was able to save someone else’s life and that’s a miracle that somebody else has been asking for,” Natalie said.
Despite Lenny never registering as an organ donor, Natalie said countless conversations as a family meant when the time came “it was just a matter of the doctor asking the question”.
“He was always out on the water fishing. I guess I just remember him more than anything in his fishing shirts and shorts smelling like sunscreen – not so much fish because he never caught any,” Natalie said.
“We’ve had a lot of loss in our family so death and funerals was something that we had talked about openly and obviously we had spoken about whether we wanted to be buried, cremated, whether we wanted our organs and tissues donated.
“So it was a relatively easy choice for us to make when he did pass away.”
Lenny was able to donate his liver to a woman, who Natalie had heard was still doing well, and heart valves and tissue, which were currently being grown to be harvested.
At the tender age of just 22, Taylah Pearson had already made the decision to be an organ donor and had registered just six weeks before she passed away in a tragic quad bike accident this year.
Taylah was able to donate her heart and liver to four recipients including a baby.
“As much as we are heartbroken, it is beautiful to know that we have helped another family,” her sister Emily Christie said.
Donatelife Thank You Day will be held this Sunday to recognise all Australians who make organ and tissue donation possible, and to encourage further registrations of organ and tissue donors.