Dominic Ogden

Type of Donation:       organs and tissue

Age and Location:      Age 25 – Marshalltown, IA

Donation Date:           11/05/2020

Sponsor:                      Honored by Iowa Donor Network

DOMINIC’S STORY

Dominic Joseph Ogden (DJ) had the biggest heart and followed it without hesitation; to know him was to be his friend. DJ took those friendships seriously and would fight for them fiercely. He was gifted with the ability to read a room or a person and knew just what to say to raise your spirits and how to make you feel seen and loved. Whether finding the right music for an occasion or being goofy to make you laugh, he always breathed life into a party. His passions in life were numerous: baseball, family, and music, but in his last year, his greatest joy was the birth of his son, Cadrien. DJ loved being a dad and lit up with pride for his son. As brilliant as his light shone, we can never forget that DJ was human and, like many others, had his struggles in life. So often, he would put others above himself and hide the things he wrestled with from those who loved him most, fighting a silent battle. Sadly, his family lost DJ to that battle. On November 1, 2020, DJ died by suicide. He was 25 years old. DJ had registered as an organ & tissue donor at the DMV as a teenager when he first got his driver's license. DJ's mom, Milisa Tyler, has been employed with Iowa Donor Network since 2015 and was very familiar with donation.







Although being a donor family was foreign to her, she was endlessly grateful to have her coworker friends by her side, helping her every step of the way. Although the grief was crippling, Milisa found some comfort that DJ had made the generous decision to give the gift of life. DJ was ultimately able to save lives; the gift of his kidneys went to two different people in their 30s, his liver to a woman in her 50s, his heart to a man in his 60s, and his lungs went to a top research facility for cystic fibrosis. He was also able to donate the gift of bone, connective tissue, and skin. To date, DJ's gift of skin has been used to create eight transplant grafts to aid in breast reconstruction surgery post-mastectomy, abdominal wall repair, and ear, nose, and throat surgeries, enhancing the lives of those who received his gifts. Just as he did in life, in his death, he chose to give all he could to others. DJ is a true hero who is deeply missed.