As an active and fun-loving boy with Down Syndrome, Christopher Hershberger had many gifts and special talents that he loved to share with others. Some of his favorite things were simple pleasures that others may take for granted: thunderstorms, giant snowflakes, jumping in leaves and dancing everywhere. On January 18, 2012, 17-year-old Christopher died from a sudden illness. "I had never thought of organ donation before, nor did anyone mention anything to me," said Christopher's mother Roseanne. "It was Christopher – he needed to go on to make more people laugh, smile and live." Through the gifts of his liver, heart valves, kidneys and pancreas, Christopher helped to save the lives of four people.

Christopher's Story

Christopher Hershberger made every day bright and colorful. For his family, he was the sunshine that broke through on a cloudy day and the rainbow after the rain. As an active and fun-loving boy with Down Syndrome, Christopher had many gifts and special talents that he loved to share with others. He liked to swim, bowl and play computer games. Some of Christopher's favorite things in life were simple pleasures that others may take for granted: thunderstorms, giant snowflakes, jumping in leaves and dancing everywhere. And as if it were a direct reflection of his bright and colorful personality, Christopher also loved tie-dye on anything.

Christopher was also very active in his school and community. He was a member of his high school band and participated in community events such as Super Kids Race, Fun in the Sun Summer Camp of Hermitage, the Summer Enrichment Program of Trumbull County, and the Special Olympics bowling team.

January 17, 2012 was just another busy day for 17-year-old Christopher and his family. They attended a basketball game, where Christopher sat by the door greeting people as they arrived. At halftime, Chris entertained the crowd by dancing behind the cheerleaders.

The next morning at 4:37 a.m., Christopher woke his mom with an ice pack on his head saying, "mom hurt." Those were the last words he ever spoke. A sudden illness claimed his life that day.

"I knew his body was gone, but he was here, watching down on all of us," said Christopher's mom, Roseanne. "I walked out to find the social worker at the hospital and asked about organ donation. I had never thought of it before nor did anyone there mention anything to me. It was Christopher – he needed to go on to make more people laugh, smile and live." Christopher donated his liver, heart valves, kidneys and pancreas, helping to save the lives of four people.

As calling hours started for Christopher's memorial service, a full-color, double rainbow formed outside. A friend said the rainbow looked like "tie-dye in the sky." Just as Christopher had filled their lives with color, his family knew that the rainbow was Christopher smiling down on them.