Family that donated kidneys receives a kidney 2 years later

[okarol]

Family that donated kidneys receives a kidney 2 years later

Posted: Jul 30, 2010 3:06 PM Updated: Jul 30, 2010 3:38 PM
By Melissa Voetsch -

BOWLING GREEN, OH (WTOL) - Two years ago the Peterson family of Bowling Green made a difficult decision after the death of their daughter--a decision that would later become their blessing as well.

The morning of August 22, 2008, 17-year-old Brooke Peterson didn't see the stone gravel on the road that caused her car to spin out and roll over.

Her mother Jean knew something was wrong when she heard there was an accident.

"The scanner went off and called my license plate," Jean said. "That's how I found out it was my daughter."

22 hours later, Brooke was gone.

"You know there's nothing else you can do for your child. You know they're brain dead. You stand there watching them run all the tests to prove it to you and at that point you just come to accept it," Jean said.

When asked about organ donation her father David said no at first.

"I wasn't ready for that," David said. "I said no because I didn't want them cutting her up."

But Brooke's mother convinced him. She was there when Brooke got her license and knew that was something her daughter would have wanted.

It was a decision that saved three other peoples' lives: a teenager, a mother of two, and a Florida man whom the Petersons have since met.

"Life does go on and it was good to see something tragic that happened to us help somebody else out," David said.

Their decision to donate their daughter's organs came full circle starting the weekend of Brooke's funeral. Jean's dad Charles's kidneys failed.

He started dialysis. Earlier this month, his life was saved by a kidney transplant.

"I truly know how hard that decision was for them," Jean said, speaking about the family that donated the organ her dad received, "and I am so grateful."

The Petersons say it's not only the donor family they thank, but the memory of their beautiful daughter whose life showed them the meaning of this gift.

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=12901740