Between June 2006 and March 2007, Mike Moore lost his 17-year-old daughter Katie to a car accident and his wife Melanie to a ruptured brain aneurysm. Six lives were saved from their donation of organs, and their gifts of corneas and tissues restored sight to the blind, treated victims of trauma and debilitating disease, and aided various research projects.

Mike, Melanie & Katie's Story

Michael and Melanie Moore knew that June 2, 2006, was going to be a special day: it was the day of daughter Katie’s dance recital. At 17, she had been studying dance for several years, and for the first time she had invited friends to watch her perform.

Despite being divorced for many years, Michael and Melanie remained close and attended their two daughters’ school functions, dance and piano recitals. The night of her recital, Katie embarked early so she could change into her costume. Less than two miles from her house, a car cut in front of hers; she hit the brakes, and her car spun around and was hit by cars on both sides. Although she died instantly, Katie was taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator to keep open the possibility of organ donation.

Katie had designated on her driver’s license that she wanted to be an organ donor. A representative from the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA) was sent to consult with Melanie and Michael before beginning a search for matches for Katie’s organs. Two days later, Katie’s organs were recovered for transplant. Little did her family know that they would be back in this same waiting room dealing once again with LOPA personnel in less than 10 months.

In the days and weeks following Katie’s death, Melanie and Michael were together constantly and soon realized that they were still in love. They re-married on Sept. 23, 2006. All went well until March 24, 2007, when Melanie had a seizure soon after awakening. A second seizure followed, and a hospital CAT scan showed she had a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Neurosurgeons recommended a procedure that had an extremely high success rate, but not for Melanie. When Michael realized that death was imminent, he told the hospital to call LOPA. From past experience, he knew that Melanie would want to donate her organs.

A 65-year old retired auto dealer from Alabama received Melanie’s right kidney. Her left kidney and liver went to a 65-year-old nursing assistant from Mississippi. A 52-year old married father of two from Mississippi received Melanie’s heart, and her lungs were transplanted into a 39-year-old man from Missouri. All four are doing well. So are two women who received Katie’s liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

LOPA also recovered bone, tendons and tissue from Katie and Melanie, which will be used to treat victims of trauma and debilitating disease and to aid various research projects. Their corneas were sent to eye banks to give others the precious gift of sight.

After her daughter’s death, Melanie believed that “Katie’s life was not in vain and Katie’s death was not in vain.” Melanie said that the one thing which helped her through her grief was the knowledge that Katie’s organs were giving life back to others.

“Little did she know that she herself would have the opportunity to do the same in less than 10 months,” said Mike, who will walk alongside the Donate Life float in honor of his wife and daughter.