Running, climbing, jumping and flipping best describe each day in the zest-filled life of Dylan Peters. Dylan was an ambitious, nationally competitive snowboarder who won the US Snowboard Association Junior Men's Slopestyle National Championship in April 2010 at age 17. At Nationals, they met Olympic snowboarder and liver recipient Chris Klug. In April 2011, a week after he turned 18, Dylan was in an auto accident he couldn't survive. There was never any question that he would be a donor. Dylan was able to donate five organs and all possible tissue. His mother Sue said, "Dylan's story has changed numerous people's minds about organ donation in our communities."

Dylan's Story

Running, climbing, jumping and flipping best describe each day in the zest-filled life of Dylan Peters. Dylan was a passionate and adventuresome spirit who rolled to the beat of his own drum, happily shrugging off expected conventions, determined to do things his own way, while finding fun in any situation. He was an ambitious, nationally competitive snowboarder, amazing artist and rap lyricist, who was about to graduate from Champlain Valley Union High School and the Design & Illustration program at Burlington Technical Center in Vermont.

He was a member of two snowboard teams and a four-year volunteer with the Burton Chill Foundation. Dylan was also a remarkable student, having just won a full tuition scholarship to a liberal arts college in Utah. He lived every second to beyond fullest, inspired many and made every ordinary moment funny. Talented, yet humble, no challenge was too big. Dylan just had to figure out how to get it done.

One big thing Dylan figured out how to do was win the US Snowboard Association Junior Men's Slopestyle National Championship in April 2010, just after he turned 17. That was a momentous trip in more ways than one. Dylan had previously lost a dear friend, Sam Cohn, who was another accomplished snowboarder. Sam was a multiple organ donor and his gift was how the Peters family first became familiar with organ donation. At Nationals, they had the opportunity to meet Olympic snowboarder and liver recipient Chris Klug and learn about his Donor Dudes outreach program. Chris's story was deeply inspiring and his outreach efforts really drove home the organ donation message for them.

In April 2011, a week after he turned 18, Dylan was in an auto accident he couldn't survive. There was never any question that he would be a donor after all the family had learned at the Donor Dudes booth the year before. Dylan was able to donate five organs and all possible tissue. Through Dylan's gift, four lives were saved, two people received the gift of sight and countless other lives' improved.

"Dylan's story has changed numerous people's minds about organ donation in our Northern Vermont and New Hampshire communities," said his mother Sue. "Many kids in Dylan's wide circle of friends have had the donor discussion with their parents. Several of his snowboard coaches indicated they would sign up, or proudly showed us that they already had. We were even contacted by a Vermont EMT who was motivated to sign up after learning more about Dylan and his story."