Christopher’s Story

As told by his mother, Christina.

Upon receiving a diagnosis of acrania in utero we contacted Living Legacy Foundation to inquire about organ donation options. We set up a meeting to discuss criteria, fill out medical releases, health info, and intent to donate forms. Because Christopher was part of a high-risk mono/dI twin pregnancy that would need to be delivered prematurely, we learned he was not a candidate for heart valve donation. Later we learned he would not meet the weight requirement for liver donation for research. The staff kept pressing to find away for our son to donate in a meaningful way and that would allow us to still have most of his body for cremation. They approached us with an unusual concept & asked if we would consider allowing Christopher to take part in an educational liver procurement surgery. Upon agreeing, we learned that most people will not donate if an organ or tissue cannot go to a recipient for transplant. At 34 weeks, we delivered the twins via c-section. Ninety minutes later, Christopher passed away and within the hour of passing he was in surgery.

Here is an excerpt from a letter we received from Living Legacy after the procedure… “Christopher’s legacy lives on through his gift of medical education. Christopher’s gift provided the clinical team at the Living Legacy Foundation, invaluable insight, training, and education in the recovery process of infant liver donation. To honor Christopher, our foundation has named a specialized kit we are developing based on his donation, “Christopher’s Pack.” Many lives have and will be impacted by this selfless decision…”