Manitoba teen in fatal crash donates organs helping 45 people
A Manitoba teen who died after being critically injured in a collision near Steinbach has helped 45 people through organ donation.
Tyler Klassen, 16, lost control of his vehicle while passing a car on the gravel Hanover Road West on Oct. 22, two days after receiving his driver's license, a family friend says.
"Tyler was brain dead and wouldn't recover," Doreen Dueck, a family spokesperson told CBC News.
Dueck said Tyler had expressed to his mother Lisa he wanted to be an organ donor just a month ago.
"Tyler had said to [his] mom, if anything ever happens to me I want to donate my organs' so she went through with the difficult decision to go through with his wishes."
In the hope his seriously injured heart and lungs might repair themselves for donation, Tyler was kept on life support for four days following the crash, Dueck said. He was taken into surgery late Tuesday.
"It was delayed by two hours so they were granted an extra two hours with their son," Dueck said as she read the text message updates from Tyler's mom.
While his heart and lungs were still too damaged for transplant, doctors were able to harvest Tyler's kidneys, liver, pancreas and eyes as well as muscle and tissue.
"He saved 45 people's lives with his organs," Dueck said, adding Tyler passed away at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.
As the mother of an 11-year-old son with kidney disease, who will need a transplant in his lifetime, Dueck said Tyler's donation touched her personally.
"My reaction was what a hero for someone so young," she said. "If my child was in need of a kidney Tyler could have been a potential kidney donor."
In an effort to give back, Dueck and another friend are trying to help the family cover funeral costs through an online fundraising campaign.
"He's given his life to help all of these people so I'm trying to reach out to everybody to donate," Dueck said.
RCMP are still investigating the crash, but say Tyler and his passenger were wearing seatbelts and alcohol was not a factor. Tyler's passenger remains in hospital in stable condition.
