In 1992, Gail Brooks lost her 3-1/2 year old son Keaton to a tragic series of illnesses that left him brain dead. Although the family was unfamiliar with organ donation, when asked they made their decision without hesitation. Four lives were saved as a result, including now-15-year-old Joshua, whom Gail has met and considers a true inspiration.

Gail's Story

In 1992, Gail Brooks lost her 3-1/2 year old son Keaton to a tragic series of illnesses that left him brain dead. Although the family was unfamiliar with organ donation, when asked they made their decision without hesitation. Four lives were saved as a result, including now-15-year-old Joshua, whom Gail has met and considers a true inspiration.

In April of 1992, at 3-1/2 years old, Keaton broke out with the chicken pox, which led to a bone infection, osteomyelitis, in his elbow. He was given an oral antibiotic, but was hospitalized in order to receive a more aggressive treatment. After one week in the hospital, we were able to bring him home with a central feeding line. The feeding line allowed us to administer the antibiotic at home. However, his condition took a turn for the worse.

On May 3rd, one week later, Keaton suffered an extremely high fever and was taken back to the hospital. Fearing that there was an infection or a clot in the central line, his doctors decided to remove it. While waiting, Keaton suffered several grand mal seizures. He was airlifted, via Life Flight, to St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois.

Keaton was stable until the afternoon of May 4th, when his vitals changed drastically. An MRI revealed that his brain was swelling. He was placed on a ventilator, where he was breathing on his own. During the night, he stopped breathing on his own. On May 5th, we were faced with the reality that our son may be brain dead. A final test proved that there was no blood flowing to Keaton’s brain.

It was during that difficult time that my family was approached about organ donation. At the time we had never really heard about organ donation, let alone talked about it. Nevertheless, our decision came with no hesitation; we said yes. We told Diane to take whatever was needed to help save lives.

On May 5th, 1992, with family and friends by our side, we said good-bye to Keaton. On May 6th, four people received the gift of life. They received that second chance to live and fulfill their dreams.

In May of 1999, I was truly blessed when I met the family of the little boy who received Keaton’s liver. Joshua David Dockter was only 18 months old when he was diagnosed with a pre-cancerous liver disease. He will be 15 years old this year and is so alive and healthy. Meeting Joshua and his family has truly helped me heal. They have inspired me and they have changed my life in a way I would have never imagined.

The more recipients I meet, the more inspired I become. I speak from my heart when I say that this story is not about me, it’s about the Gift of Life.