Donald Everett Blair was as comfortable on the football field as he was creating works of art and poetry. Don loved life, set goals and lived out his dreams. When he graduated [from college with a degree in entrepreneurial business, he sold his car, and moved to New York City to join the fashion industry.

Don made friends and touched lives with his dedication, enthusiasm and love of the chase. It was his desire to impact the lives of others and to make a positive difference in this world. “Little did we know how that last dream was to be fulfilled,” said his mother Ellen.

On May 27, 2005, Don was planning to fly home to Ohio, but his flight was overbooked; he re-booked for the next morning. Later that night, 24-year-old Don was hit by a van while riding his bicycle to the store. At the time, doctors said he suffered a non-survivable brain injury and likely brain death. The New York Organ Donor Network was contacted and started the wheels in motion to ensure that Don had the opportunity share the gift of his life.

Through donation, Don saved the lives of six people; more than 50 others were enhanced by his gift of tissue. “A single mother who works hard to provide for her family received Don’s pancreas,” said Ellen. “Two people received his kidneys and no longer require dialysis. Don’s heart remained in the city he loved when it went to a lawyer in New York. A father of five received a portion of Don’s liver and a five-month-old baby received the other portion. In death, Don’s final dream was fulfilled.”