On June 20, 2006, Arthur Stone’s 23-year-old son Nicholas died from injuries suffered in an automobile accident in rural Colorado. A designated donor, Nicholas’ heart, liver and kidneys saved four lives. Arthur says of his son, referring to his kind nature, “Nicholas wouldn’t hurt a thing, he was just that kind of person.”

Arthur & Nicholas' Story

One of four children, Nicholas Stone was an avid hockey player, a gifted artist, and loved to cook. And at the age of 23, Nicholas became a hero.

On June 19, 2006, in an attempt to avoid impact with a car in front of him, Nicholas lost control of his van. Nicholas, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and suffered a fatal head injury.

His sister recalls of that night: “My parents sat in the waiting room, having the conversation that none should.” Since Nicholas’ Colorado driver’s license bore the heart symbol indicating that he was a designated organ and tissue donor, his father Arthur and the rest of his family were informed of his decision to donate.

They are proud that his gift of organs saved four lives. “Nicholas wouldn’t hurt a thing, he was just that kind of person,” Arthur Stone said of his son, referring to his kind nature.

Arthur, a 48-year-old volunteer for Donor Alliance, Colorado’s non-profit organ and tissue recovery agency, met Nicholas’ liver recipient just before Christmas 2006, and their two families met shortly thereafter. The Stones also learned that a woman from Colorado now has Nicholas’ heart, and his kidneys saved the lives of a man in Tennessee and a woman in North Dakota.

Nicholas’s mother and three siblings will look on proudly as Arthur walks alongside the Donate Life Rose Parade float in memory of Nicholas.