Parker Lang

Organ, tissue and cornea donor

Age 18 – Bothell, WA

Donated on 03/13/2016

at Providence Everett Medical Center

Honored by LifeCenter Northwest

It was hard to find Parker Lang without a smile on his face. He was active, with an eagerness to explore and experience the world around him. Parker took an easygoing approach to life and enjoyed making others laugh. He loved animals, playing video games, and eating.

He had a sensitive spirit, got along with everyone, and built meaningful relationships with his friends. After graduating from High School, Parker worked at a local pet food store and enrolled in college, with the goal of becoming a doctor. On March 9, 2016, Parker was struck by a car while walking home from work on a busy street. Months earlier, while renewing his ID, Parker said yes to donation, and this decision saved five lives, and heal many more.

Parker’s Story

It was hard to find Parker Lang without an exuberant smile on his face. He was very active, with boundless energy and an eagerness to explore and experience the world around him—a characteristic his mother, Vicki, likens to that of Curious George. A bit of a jokester, Parker took an easy-going approach to life and enjoyed making others laugh. He loved animals, playing video games, and, being a teenage boy, eating. He especially loved steak, his mom’s homemade burritos, and anything dessert.

He had a sensitive spirit, the type of person who got along with everyone, stood up for the underdog, and built meaningful relationships with his friends. When he was a sophomore in high school, his robust social life began to interfere with his grades. After hearing a representative speak at his school, Parker was inspired to enroll in the Washington Youth Academy, a quasi-military training and mentoring program that emphasizes self-discipline, personal responsibility, and positive motivation. Though Vicki was uncertain about the endeavor, Parker was adamant, expressing his desire to do better in school. Parker excelled in the 6-month program and returned to school a more mature, confident, and well-rounded student. He graduated with his class in June 2015.

Parker blossomed after graduation. He started a job at a local natural pet food store, took the initiative to enroll in college, and began taking online classes that fall. Though he had previously wanted to be a veterinarian, he was inspired to pursue a career in medicine after watching his brother’s accomplishments in medical school and residency.

On March 9, 2016, Parker was struck by a car while walking home from work on a busy street. Just months earlier, while renewing his ID, Vicki vividly remembers the clerk asking if he would like to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor. True to his character, Parker said yes to the possibility of helping others. This decision saved five lives through the donation of his kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs.

“I find peace in knowing that Parker is still alive out there, just in a different body,” said Vicki.