2019 Bill Bourbeau

Name:                                     Bill Bourbeau

Type of Donation:             Tissue recipient

Age and Location:             Age 50 – Aiken, SC

Transplant Date:                 April-June 2014

Sponsor:                               Honored by American Association of Tissue Banks in partnership with We Are Sharing Hope South Carolina

BILL’S STORY

Bill is a U. S. Marine Corps veteran and former law enforcement officer in both Florida and South Carolina. He received a tissue transplant after he was involved in a serious automobile accident on March 19, 2014. On this day, Bill and other drivers were stopped by law enforcement officers to allow a funeral procession to turn left into a cemetery. Unfortunately, the driver of another vehicle failed to see him stop and never applied the brakes of her SUV.  It struck the flatbed trailer at a high speed, launching it into the air and landing on the roof of Bill’s truck. This caused the roof of Bill’s truck to partially cave in, trapping him inside. While he was trapped, scalding hot engine liquids from the SUV poured into Bill’s truck and onto him. These hot liquids caused serious thermal and chemical burns to his right arm. He was ultimately able to crawl out of his truck’s window and was rushed to University Hospital in Augusta, GA where he was initially treated for numerous injuries.

Bill’s burns were later treated at Doctors Hospital, also located in Augusta. He underwent three different tissue graft procedures requiring donated tissue from his right shoulder, to below his elbow. Bill is appreciative of his donor’s gift of life through tissue donation.

Bill is an advocate for donation and proudly displays his Donate Life Recipient pin on his work jacket lapel, which sparks conversations about the gift of life.  His wife, Patti, is a South Carolina DMV Branch Manager in North Augusta, SC.  She frequently shares their personal story at work with coworkers and customers. Bill and Patti are the proud parents of two daughters.  Just like her mom and dad, daughter Kourtney is passionate about sharing the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation, and she volunteers her time with Sharing Hope SC and Donate Life SC.