2016 Katie Barton

KATHERINE ‘KATIE’ NICOLE BARTON

Organ and Cornea Donor

Age 17 ~ Powhattan, VA

Donated on 06/21/2003

at Johnston Willis Hospital

Honored by bridgetolife.org and lifenethealth.org

At seventeen “Katie” Barton was a beautiful young woman, full of life with a world of possibilities just beginning to unfold.  She was looking forward to her senior year at the new, Powhatan High School.  She was working at a local daycare, where she was loved and greatly appreciated.  It was Katie’s desire to be an organ donor.  This was a carefully considered decision, and her last wish has enriched many lives.  Katie donated her heart, a kidney, liver, and her corneas.  As an organ donor, she provided another gift, by connecting her family to the incredible people within the donate Life family.

Katie’s Story

“The Sparkle in my Eye”

Wednesday, June 18th began much like any other day.  My daughter got ready to go to work at the Children’s Academy.  She thought she would stop by to see Joey (her special someone) for a little while before going to work. Less than a mile from her mom’s house, on a road she traveled hundreds of times before, something distracted her and the car drifted off the side of the road.  Katie tried to get the car back on the road; she overcorrected and began to lose control.  Another vehicle coming the other way was unable to get out of her way and they collided.  There were no hazardous driving conditions, no drugs (prescription or other), and no alcohol, just a costly driver error on that otherwise beautiful day.

The emergency paramedics were on the scene quickly.  Katie needed to be resuscitated as they transported her to the hospital.  While they were able to get her heart to start beating, the head trauma and loss of oxygen to the brain was so severe that there was no brain activity when she reached the hospital.  We prayed from the moment we knew about the accident until Friday night, when the word came down from the doctors, hoping for a miracle.  I knew the miracle we were praying for was that Lazarus might come forth from the grave.

Nevertheless, there was an ongoing vigil inside and outside the hospital.  There were 40-50 persons at any one time there at Katie’s side.  It is so difficult to see your child lying in an ICU hooked up to machines, you feel powerless, useless.  You feel angry you want to be able to blame somebody another driver, maybe the EMTs or doctors, the cell phone, even God, where is God in all this?

At some point in every tragedy there is a point when you lift your head skyward and ask why? Where were the angels that were supposed to be watching over her?

Sometimes there just isn’t anyone to blame, sometime things just happen, in an instant, a momentary distraction and tragedy follows.  Before long the “if onlies” appear, you second guess things, if you are not careful they can really drive you crazy and they just don’t go away.  Even years later they creep back from time to time.  Learning to find peace in the midst of unanswerable questions becomes a part of a new  ongoing journey.  We will never really know what happened in that car on that June morning, and living with that has not been easy.

Several of us spent the night Wednesday and Thursday, not wanting to be very far away.  I noticed late Wednesday night someone joined us in the ICU waiting room, a young Hispanic woman, very quiet and by herself.  She disappeared sometime during the middle of the night  and I did not see much of her on Thursday.  Then Thursday night she was back.  By Friday morning I was really curious about this person so I asked one of the doctors.  I was told that she was there standing watch over her husband.  Her husband died later that morning.  When I saw her in the hall, I stopped and expressed my sadness at the news.  I wanted to hold her and say how sorry i was.  i got to thinking how full our cup was, all these wonderful friends and family staying with us the whole time and here in our midst was the quiet woman standing vigil, walking a very similar path all by herself.  By Friday afternoon she was gone, but the image of her will last in my memory.

Friday evening at 7:21 Katie was declared brain dead.  She never regained consciousness and her remains were turned over to LifeNet for organ donation.  It was Katie’s desire to be an organ donor.  This was a carefully considered decision, one she did not make lightly, but was very intentional about.  Her kidney, liver and the cornea from both eyes have been successfully transplanted.  Her heart was also transplanted; unfortunately the patient who received her heart was not strong enough and died shortly after receiving Katie’s heart.

In the days and weeks that followed the funeral, Katie and I have had many conversations.  One of those conversations:

Dad: I miss you, Katie.

Katie: I know. I miss you too.

Katie: Dad, if I was there and you were here you would want me to still be happy, to find some joy in my life, to be able o laugh and live life to the fullest wouldn’t you?

Dad: Yes of course.

Katie: Do you really think I want anything less for you?

Dad: I still miss you. I love you.

Katie: I love you too.

I am convinced beyond a shadow of any doubt that God was in the car with Katie.  God held her close, cradling her in his loving arms.  God was the first one there and God’s heart was the first to break.  We received cards, flowers, prayers and visits from so many persons; this support helped to comfort our family during this time.  Katie is a very special young lady, the sparkle in my eye and I miss her greatly.  Thank you all for your constant prayers and being with us on this  very difficult journey.,  The fact that Katie had a good life for 17 years, , that we were always very close, she was happy is insufficient consolation.  Katie deserved much more.  We are only custodians of a precious gift entrusted to us for our care and nurture.  I spend my days now much as I did before the accident, it is as if nothing has changed and yet everything has changed.

VICTOR HUGO: ON THE DEATH OF HIS DAUGHTER

“I could not believe at all in the thing:

I gazed, and I gazed, for a light to spring.

Does God permit such misfortunes, not care

That our souls be filled with utter despair?

It seemed as the whole were a frightful dream,

She could not have left me thus like a gleam;

Ha! That is her laughter in the next room!

Oh no, she cannot be dead in the tomb.

There shall she enter–come here by this door

and her step shall be music to me as before.”