Billy Wolf, Tissue & Cornea Donor

On an early December morning in 2013, we received the tragic news that my brother Billy was dead.  In this moment of absolute despair, we learned that he was a registered organ donor and quickly made phone calls confirming permission for donation. By that afternoon, Billy’s selfless donation had deeply impacted the lives of over 100 people in need.

Billy was only 50 years old.  He left behind a family that loved him and a young daughter who was everything in his eyes.  Knowing that his gift would now enable others to go on living, helping others through the gift of sight and creating a better life for someone in need truly helped in our healing.

His daughter, Johnna believes in his gifts. “I have been profoundly impacted knowing that my dad was an organ donor,” she says. “Knowing that a piece of him lives on in another’s life gives me comfort. Dad was so caring and that legacy continues through his gift.”

Suffering from the sudden loss of a loved one is devastating. If the unthinkable occurs, knowing that you’re loved one was an organ donor and living on within another makes the loss a little easier to endure. As a family who has lost an amazing and beautiful loved one, we feel very strongly about the decision to say yes to organ & tissue donation.

Diane Ritter, Sister of Billy Wolf, Organ & Tissue Donor