Emily Bohnsack

Type of Donation:          tissue and corneas

Age and Location:          Age 16 – Wilton, IA

Donation Date:             12/05/2010

Sponsor:                   Honored by Iowa Donor Network

EMILY’S STORY

Emily Anne Bohnsack was an active, spunky, vibrant teenage girl with a zest for life. She was strong-willed and loved nothing more than being goofy with her friends and family. She was a sassy girl, but in the best of ways. Like many high schoolers, she was very active- a churchgoer, choir member, athlete & an excellent horseman.

When she turned 16 years old on March 6, 2010, without hesitation, she signed up to be an organ & tissue donor. A few short months later, on December 5, 2010, Emily was tragically killed in an automobile accident.

In the midst of grief, her parents Rob & Suzy Bohnsack and sister Erin (Bohnsack) DeLong, found some comfort in knowing Emily gave the greatest gift… the gift of life. How much can one life impact others? Grafts from her gift of bone & connective tissue enhanced 37 lives, grafts from her skin tissue helped save lives of 189 patients with burns and six grafts were gifted to research for education & medical advancements. 226 lives have been impacted through Emily’s gift of tissue donation and countless more have been impacted through education and research. Letters of gratitude from these recipients will always be cherished by Emily’s family, who instantly knew they wanted to do something more to continue Emily’s legacy.

They decided it was their mission to spread awareness for organ & tissue donation. Each year since her passing, Emily’s family & loved ones host a “Green Out Night”, green to represent the ribbon used for the cause of organ donation, during basketball games at Durant High School, where Emily was a student at the time of her passing. In the Durant community and surrounding areas, these events spread awareness, provide education and have raised over $38,000 for the Iowa Donor Network since 2011. The events are very emotional for the Bohnsack family and Emily’s friends, but also very heartwarming. They continue to find solace in the fact that Emily’s legacy continues to live on through her donations and in the hearts of so many impacted by her during her short life with us.