In 2004, Mary Brown’s youngest child, Katlyn Elise Gosch, was killed in a car accident. The decision to donate was easy for Mary because Katie had expressed a desire to be a donor. Two years later, Mary’s other daughter Samantha was diagnosed with a tumor on one of her lower leg bones; her tumor was removed, and her leg was reconstructed with donated bone. Mary believes that “donation makes good things happen out of unthinkable tragedies.”

Mary's Story

On March 16, 2004, Mary Brown’s youngest child, Katlyn Elise Gosch, was killed in a car accident riding home from school with a classmate during a late winter snowstorm.

“When Kate died, I died, too, and my life as I knew it was over,” said Mary, a 56-year old registered nurse. “When I dropped her off at school that day for early band practice, she got out of the car with her hands full of books and lunch and saxophone and said, ‘Look mom, my jeans are caught in my boot—fix it for me.’ She stuck her left foot back in the car, and I fixed her jeans and said, ‘Have a good day, I love you, honey.’ ‘Love you, mom,’ she replied as she ran toward school.

“For a long while after her death, I thought that act of ‘jeans-fixing’ was the last thing I did for her. I have since discovered that I was wrong about that.”

In the emergency room at Lockport Memorial Hospital that night, when asked about organ and tissue donation, it was an easy decision for Mary. “Katie and I had talked about it, and she wanted to give ‘anything anyone could use,’” recalled Mary. “What I did not expect was how healing that decision would be for me. I see now that her final act of love was giving back and contributing to others, to enhance their lives. It was her final gift to me, as well. I will never regret that decision.”

Kate’s older sister, Samantha, was the person she admired most. In June 2006, Samantha was diagnosed with a tumor on one of her lower leg bones. The tumor was removed, and she received bone from a tissue donor. Two sisters, Kate and Sam: one who gave the gift of life, and one who was a fortunate recipient of that final gift.

Mary believes that “there is good beyond measure that comes from organ and tissue donation for the donor, the recipients, the donor families and the support organizations and individuals. Donation makes good things happen out of unthinkable tragedies.”