Robin's Story

Robin  |  Donor Mother

Robin and her 22-year-old son Joseph were best friends and he was not afraid to let everyone know it. While some kids might be embarrassed that their mom worked in the high school cafeteria, Joe wasn’t. He would hug his mom in the middle of the school day. When he was diagnosed with epilepsy in the fall of 2007, Joe made a pact with his mom that whenever he thought he was about to have a seizure he would call her, as he always knew before it happened. On December 30, 2007, Joe called his mom at 9:45 a.m.

“Fortunately, I had not gone to church that morning, like I usually do, because I wouldn’t have gotten his call,” said Robin. “We were on the phone for 10 minutes when I heard the phone drop and Joe passed out.” Joe was pronounced dead on January 1, 2008.

Joe had discussed his decision to be an organ donor with his mom several months before he died. It came as no surprise to Robin and the rest of Joe’s family because he always tried to help others. Joe could light up a room with his boisterous laughter, his great big bear hugs or his constant smile. Not to mention, he stood strong beside his life motto “One Love” which was adopted from a Bob Marley song. Joe’s initial decision to register to be an organ donor at the age of 15 helped save and heal the lives of seven people.

Since Joe’s death, Robin has become an advocate working to educate the public about the need for and the benefits of organ and tissue donation. She is currently teaming with Donor Alliance and the American Transplant Foundation to spearhead the creation of an organ and tissue donation license plate. The Donate Life license plate will be available for purchase on January 1, 2010 – the two-year anniversary of Joe’s death.

“I do this because it is how I keep Joe’s memory alive. It also helps me cope, which is one of the biggest things,” explains Robin.

We are pleased to announce the creation of Colorado’s new specialty Donate Life license plate. CLICK HERE.

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