The Varney Family Story
For most, New Year's Eve is a time of reflection, looking back on the year that passed, and pausing to gaze into a future that will unfold in the months ahead. On New Year's Eve 2005, 6 lives became forever entwined.
After suffering a traumatic head injury at the hands of an armed assailant, Thomas Varney V, "Moose", was taken to a regional trauma center. Despite the best of care, it was evident that the gunshot wound was non-survivable and Moose was pronounced brain dead. His parents, Barb and Tiff, and sisters, Elizabeth and Alexandra, thought back to when Moose came home with his first driver's license. He had told his parents that he had decided to register as an organ donor by choosing "yes" on his driver's license. After pausing to reflect, Tiff said, "We're donating anything. Anything you can recover, recover it."
On January 1, 2006, Moose saved five lives. Recipients were found for his heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys. In addition, Moose gave the gift of sight to two individuals who received his corneas, and many other are benefiting from life-enhancing tissue transplants because of his donation of bones and tendons.
Someday, the Varneys hope to meet the recipients of Moose's organs. "This is one of the major things that helped us," Barb shares. "This is something tangible to hang on to." Tiff adds, "Do it. There's no reason not to help someone else improve their quality of life."