Lori and Jon's Story

Lori and Jon  |  Donor Parents

On March 28, 2007, after a full-term, healthy and uneventful pregnancy, Lori Driscoll went into labor and gave birth to her first child – a baby boy, she and her husband Jon, named Liam. During birth, Liam’s umbilical cord became pinched in the birth canal resulting in oxygen deprivation resulting in irreversible brain damage. Several days later an MRI showed Liam’s brain had been devastated resulting in the inability for him to sustain life on his own. Knowing that they could bring some good out of a tragic loss, Lori and Jon made the decision to donate Liam’s heart.

“There was really no question that it was the right thing to do,” said Lori. “It is one of the most life-enriching decisions a person can make, not only for another person but also for you.”

Liam’s heart was given to a three-and-a-half month old little girl. The Driscolls sent her family a letter three months after the transplant and the family responded immediately. One year later, the families met in person.

“To know someone else’s life has been saved or healed because of your loved one provides an immense amount of comfort, which is a powerful gift to a grieving family,” Lori explains.

Lori and Jon attended a conference on donation in Nashville, Tennessee in October 2008 to share their story and tell of the good that has come from their decision to donate Liam’s heart.

In June 2009, the Driscoll’s welcomed a baby girl, Amalie to the family. Amalie’s name incorporates all of the letters in Liam’s name, allowing him to live on – once again – through her.

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