2016 Brice Fabing
BRIC
E FABING
Organ Donator
Age 17~ Lompoc, CA
Donated on 11/03/2005
at Santa Barbara Cottage
Honored by paragonsteel.com
In September 2005, the Fabing family was at the hospital comforting friends who were agonizing over the decision of whether or not to donate their son’s organs. They supported them in making the decision to donate life. Brice, their youngest son, spoke up and said, “If anything like this ever happens to me, I would like to help others by donating my organs, too.” Little did they know that just one month later, their family would be back at the same hospital in the exact same Intensive Care room (#9) their friends were in. This time it was the Fabing family who had to face the heartbreaking decision of whether to donate Brice’s organs after he was involved in a tragic car accident on October 31, 2005.
Brice’s Story
In September 2005, the Fabing family was at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to comfort friends whose son was in a tragic car accident. They saw their friends agonizing over the decision of whether or not to donate their son’s organs, and supported them in making the decision to donate life. After the funeral, the Fabings were driving home and seventeen-year old, Brice, their youngest son, spoke up from the back seat and said, “If anything like this ever happens to me, I would like to be like Big Gabe. I would like to help others by donating my organs, too.”
Little did they know that just one month later, their family would be back at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in the exact same Intensive Care room (Room #9) their friends were in. This time it was the Fabing family who had to face the heartbreaking decision of whether to donate Brice’s organs after he was involved in a tragic car accident on October 31, 2005. Brice, so full of life and vitality, was a gifted athlete. He was the kicker for the Lompoc High School varsity football team, a varsity soccer player preparing for the AYSO National games in Chicago. Brice was the kid who always had time to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. Now it was his parents’ turn to decide whether to donate his organs in order to give others a chance at life. There was always something special about Brice we just didn’t know how special until special stories unfolded after his death from those who knew him.
For four agonizing days, the Fabings held fast to the knowledge that Brice wanted to be a donor. Brice’s mother Dorine explained, “When they notified me on the 4th day that they had found a heart recipient, we knew it was time to let go and give our son the rest he deserved. Brice hung on long enough for a heart recipient to be found and I have no doubt in my mind that this was what he wanted.”
Dorine says, “Until we met Jim, we had no idea how much Brice’s decision to donate could impact a complete stranger’s life. When we are with Jim, we feel that Brice is with him, and also with us. It’s beyond anything I can describe, but we are just thankful that good has resulted from such a devastating event and that he was able to help 4 others through donation.”