Stephen Jackson Steiner

Type of Donation:       organs

Age and Location:      Age 25 - Glendora, CA

Donation Date:           8/05/2009

Sponsor:                      Honored by OneLegacy

STEPHEN’S STORY

Stephen Jackson Steiner was the first: the first son to his parents, first grandchild, and first great-grandchild. Stephen loved hockey, basketball and reading. He loved surfing, fishing, and the beach. He loved his family. He was the big brother to Kortney, the Bert to her Ernie, and to Kyle, Eric, and Parker. Stephen was kind and generous. He was complex and wild. His smile would light up a room.

Stephen was an early walker and on the go from the start. He loved to "fix" things even as a toddler. His mother, Kristen, recalls, "He taught his sister how to ‘clean her room' by putting everything in the closet and covering it with a blanket." Kyle remembers that Stephen was fun. When he was 9, Stephan picked him up from school because he was ill. "Instead of taking him home, he took him to the movies," Kristen shares. Eric credits Stephen for his love of skating. He would put Stephen's skates on when he was very young and wear them on the carpet. Parker remembers Stephen taking the road less traveled, which often meant 4-wheeling through the desert on a trip to the store.

"When Stephen got his driver's permit," his mother remembers, "we talked about what it meant to be an organ donor and without hesitation he said yes."

There was a darker side to Stephen's life; he struggled with addiction. It was an ugly time that tore his family apart. Luckily, Stephen started to find his way. He had a good job and started to mend those damaged relationships. Kristen reveals, "He wasn't perfect, but he was discovering his worth."

In August 2009, Stephen was in a serious motorcycle accident that resulted in global brain damage. Doctors worked hard to save his life, but his injuries were too severe, and his family made the painful decision to take him off life support. Stephen was 25 years old.

Thankfully, there were people who said yes to Stephen's gifts; people who accepted his kidneys and liver. People who were able to heal, spend time with their loved ones and grow another day older. "That is an incredible gift to us, Stephen's family, who lost him too soon," his mother says.