Organ donation impacts area families

Apr. 18—When Kyle Chase suddenly died from a brain aneurysm Aug. 4, 2023, his family was devastated. He was 52 years old, and no one saw it coming.

They also didn't know the impact his passing was about to have on two other families — one of them just a few miles east in Junction City.

"When it got to the point at the hospital that we knew things probably weren't going to turn out positive they asked us if he was an organ donor," said DeDe Lorson recalling the day her cousin was rushed to the hospital.

Upon learning he had checked the box on his drivers license, hospital staff contacted Midwest Transplant in Kansas City, the next few hours would be critical.

"They had a person come from (Midwest Transplant) to the hospital to sit down with family and discuss options and things," Lorson said. "Kyle was able to give two kidneys and his liver, and a cornea, other tissue and skin for research."

In the process, they learned that because Kyle had type O blood, which is universal, almost anyone could receive his donation.

"They told us that if we knew anybody that needed an organ if they were on the active transplant list, they can look at them first," said Kyle's sister Carrie Sprouse "We thought it'd be cool if it could be somebody we knew."

They had a 12-hour window to find someone. Kyle's niece, Trey, was working at Xpression's Salon when the conversation came up. As it happened, another stylist had a client who worked as a nurse in Junction City and knew that Dr. Anwar Khoury, an OB/GYN, was on the transplant list.

When Khoury was contacted, he mentioned that his brother who lives in Florida was also on a waitlist.

Anwar, is married and has five children; he had been on the list for 172 days. His brother, Anton, was on the list for 109 days.

"(Anton) flew up here immediately and stayed in a hotel until they got the final phone call that it was okay for them to come to the hospital to get checked out to make sure they can do the transplant," Lorson said. "They ended up having to stay in Kansas City around the hospital there for three months."

Lorson, Sprouse and Kyles' mother Linda Chase said they knew he desired to be a donor, but it wasn't anything they had ever really spoken about.

"I understood that was something he wanted to do from the get go," Chase said. "I don't really know his thoughts about it."

Lorson said she had heard his decision went back to a relationship he had many years ago.

"I was told that he dated a girl way back when they were in high school," she said. "She got cancer and could not be an organ donor and that was something she always to do, but she couldn't with the cancer."

To honor his friend, Heather Hall, he did what she couldn't.

"When Midwest Transplant came to speak to us, they were very thorough in the information that they gave us, and it was really quite eye-opening for me," Lorson said. "I have been listed as a donor on my driver's license for years but you know, you don't really think about those things until you have to face them."

Part of the healing process for them was meeting the Khoury family.

"It has been such a double-edged sword type of thing because you're losing someone you love but at the same time, you're also helping a family that is gaining their family member's life back," she said.

The Khoury's attended Kyle's funeral, visitation, and the after-party. Getting to know them and seeing the family's lives go forward because of Kyle has been a surreal experience, Lorson said.

"The first time we went and sat down and had a meal with them in a restaurant ... it was pretty emotional because that person is sitting there because of someone that you've lost but at the same time, you're extremely grateful that that could be done for that family too," she said. "It has been a great experience in the sense of knowing that ... Kyle helped other people."

Organ donating at heart of event

Upon seeing the impact of organ donation Lorson and Sprouse joined the Donate Life Rock Painting page on Facebook and are planning a rock painting day at 1 p.m. April 27 at Eisenhower Park.

"We just thought that it would be something neat to do in Kyle's honor and with it being organ donation month we thought this would be a good time to do it," Sprouse said.

In this national effort to raise awareness of organ donation, people paint a rock with a message about donating. The rock goes into a baggie along with information about the donor or the recipient and a request for people who find the rock to take it somewhere else and leave it for another person to find. They also ask finders to take a selfie with the rock and post it to their page.

Lorson said on the Facebook page she saw one that made it from America to overseas.

"We're asking any of Kyle's friends or family or anybody that knew him to come paint a rock," Sprouse said. "We are going to have the rocks in this little card that tells a little bit about his life and may paint that rock that day and then take it with them and place it wherever they want to," Sprouse said. "We'll hopefully be able to watch them go all over the place — travel."

All supplies will be provided, and they are asking for people to RSVP by April 19 so they know how many to expect. To RSVP Call or text Lorson at 785-280-9388.

"I'm very proud that the girls are taking this on and I hope we have a big turnout," Chase said. "But if we don't, we'll still be honoring Kyle and the recipient."