Pat Thomas, 63, was proud of her daughter, Kathleen, who excelled academically, had an active social life, and loved nature and the mountains. In 2008, after Kathleen became ill and died at only 31 years of age, Pat and her family learned that Kathleen was able to donate both corneas, heart valves, and bone and skin grafts. Pat heard from one cornea recipient, 85-year-old Kisayo from Nagasaki, Japan, who benefited from an international eye bank program. Since she received Kisayo's letter, Pat and her husband vigorously promote donation in newspapers and on television.

Patricia's Story

Like most parents, Pat Thomas, 63, was proud of her daughter, Kathleen, who excelled academically, had an active social life, and participated in church and youth group. She loved nature and the mountains, and worked for two summers in Yellowstone Park. After graduating from Texas Tech University with honors, Kathleen moved to Denver because she missed the mountains. She worked for Wells Fargo Bank for 10 years before becoming ill and dying on September 23, 2008. She was only 31.

A month later, Pat and her family learned that Kathleen was able to donate both corneas, heart valves, and bone and skin grafts. One cornea recipient was a man from Colorado; another cornea went to an 85-year-old woman, Kisayo, in Nagasaki, Japan, through an international eye bank program.

“In June of 2009, we received a beautiful letter from Kisayo,” Pat remembered. “She wrote ‘Life was so hard for me after losing sight in both eyes, but now I can see clearly in my left eye because of the cornea from America. I have no inconveniences in my life now due to the transplant. I talk to my family often about how thankful I am to have received the new cornea.’”vSince she received this letter, Pat has made it her mission to make everyone an organ donor. “I wrote 28 letters to newspapers in Wyoming and Montana and was pleased when several papers did articles on Kathleen’s and Kisayo’s story,” she reported. “My husband and I spend the winter in Arizona and got three papers to do articles there. A TV station in Phoenix picked up the story and I was on the evening news asking folks to sign up to be organ donors. Never in my life had I ever written a letter to a newspaper, never mind be on television. One never knows what life if going to throw at you."

Pat summed up: “I know in my heart that Kathleen would be pleased that she was able to help Kisayo and the other recipients of her gifts. It is a great memorial to Kathleen and helps me to further my mission to get everyone to sign up to give the gift of life.”