“We knew it was the right thing to do and never gave it a second thought.”
Donor Brother: Peter
Peter is a donor brother from Golden, CO. His sister, Perri, passed away at age 20 and gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. This is Peter and Perri’s donation story.
With time, I have realized what a great impact this unspeakably tragic event has had. With the gifts from my sister Perri, three lives were saved and many others have been changed.
Peter and Perri on Christmas in 2011.
Peter was not quite 17 years old when his older sister Perri died. The siblings grew up in a loving family in a small community in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
We were typical siblings. At a young age we fought about everything, but as we both grew up, things changed a bit and we shared secrets, talked through our problems together, and had each other’s backs.
In the last few years of Perri’s life, Peter says that they became closer than ever.
Perri’s family says that she was a strong-willed, spirited 20-year-old with beautiful blue eyes and an unforgettable smile. Perri played softball starting at a very young age and became a reliable centerfielder on a team she loved. She was attending a local cosmetology school with the intent of beginning her chosen career. Tragically, Perri died after sustaining injuries during a single-car accident on the street where she lived.
Just as I could not have imagined my life without Perri in it, I also could not have imagined being faced with the decisions that would need to be made in the final hours of her life.
Since Perri was a registered organ donor, Peter and his family were guided by donation professionals from Donor Alliance in the final days of her life.
They helped us make sense of all the details.
In July 2012, the first annual Perri Jaye Lang Memorial Tournament raised money for Perri’s namesake foundation, which awards a scholarship to a softball player entering her freshman year of college.
Peter and his family celebrate Perri’s gifts in life and in death.
To me, there is nothing more special than the gift of life.
Peter’s mom, Kelly, is an Advocate for Life, volunteering her time in honor of Perri.