My son saved four lives through organ donation. Each April we honor his life and legacy

Three years ago, my son Colton Wade gave the ultimate gift of life through organ donation. Since then, the month of April has taken on an entirely new meaning. What was just another 30 days has turned into our month-long observance of National Donate Life Month, when our family and everyone who loved Colton come together to honor and remember his life and legacy.

National Donate Life Month is dedicated to highlighting the impact of organ donation, honoring donors who have saved and improved lives, and encouraging people to consider their decision to donate. More than 10,000 Texans are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and improve up to 75 through tissue donation.

I wasn’t shocked when I learned Colton had registered as an organ donor—giving came naturally for him. Thanks to his selfless decision, Colton saved four lives through organ donation and impacted many more through tissue donation.

One of Colton’s kidney recipients reached out to our family to thank us for his gift of life. While nothing can bring him back, connecting with his recipients brings us comfort and peace. These moments also solidify Colton’s legacy as a donor hero. I’m proud to tell his story any chance I get.

Witnessing the power of donation firsthand has inspired many of our family members to register as organ donors, as well. Colton’s act of heroism gave life and hope to those on the waiting list. For those of us who knew and loved Colton, it also helped us see a glimmer of good come from a senseless loss. It’s inspired me to become a donation advocate myself, supporting the cause in a way that would make my son proud.

Growing up in Corpus Christi, Colton loved making music, spending time with family and friends, and especially working on cars. He even studied mechanical engineering at the University of North Texas to learn more about how they worked. In 2022, our family started an annual car meet and run, Colton’s Cars for Life, as a way to honor his memory and raise awareness for organ donation.

Colton’s Cars for Life is hosted alongside Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA), the organ procurement organization (OPO) that facilitated Colton’s gift. Through this partnership, we educate the community, dispel myths related to the donation process, and hope to inspire people to say “yes” to saving and healing lives by registering to be organ donors. The event always ends with a cruise to Stingrays in Port Aransas—one of Colton’s favorite restaurants.

When I think about my son, I always remember how he wanted to become a music teacher and inspire the next generation of artists through the power of music. And he is inspiring a new generation of people—just through the power of organ donation instead.

You can learn more about the donation process and register your decision to donate at https://www.organ.org/. You also can say “yes” to donation when you apply for or renew your driver’s license or state ID at your local DPS office.

Jennifer Wade, mother of organ donor hero Colton Wade, lives in Corpus Christi.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: My son saved four lives through organ donation. We honor that legacy each April