Surprise organ donation links Florida families together for life
PALM HARBOR, Fla. (WFLA) — Despite their 11-year age gap, Carolyn Hostetler was always close with her little sister, Megan Twist, which made the phone call she received on Nov. 26, 2016, even tougher.
“We knew she was going to lose out on all the opportunities that we’ve had,” said Hostetler. “She would never get to walk down an aisle. We had to go to her funeral instead.”
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Megan was hit by a drunk driver and died in the hospital. While her family was there, they were approached by LifeLink of Florida. It turned out that Megan had signed up to be an organ donor just months earlier.
“It wasn’t surprising because that’s who my sister was,” Hostetler recalled. “We had no idea that she did that, but she was such a giving person that we knew we wanted to honor her decision to be an organ donor.”
Megan donated seven organs, saving five lives.
“Waited for three years and I pretty much didn’t think it was going to happen for me,” said Richard Bremer. “Then, one day, I got that call.”
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Bremer was one of those five lives. The Jacksonville resident had sarcoidosis and needed new lungs.
“You’re thankful,” Bremer explained. “But then, it’s kind of mixed emotions for you because you know your best day is somebody’s worst day.”
After he saw Megan’s death on the news, Bremer said he had to reach out, beginning a years-long bond with Carolyn and her family.
“It was amazing to meet her family because they’re so much like my family,” Bremer said. “It was just amazing how close that things could be.”
But it’s not just Richard who has a bit of Megan in him, but her dog, Mayer, too.
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“When she died, it was really tough to see a dog grieve,” Hostetler remembered. “Every time the door would open, she would just be looking for her mom.”
It’s the little pieces of Megan everywhere that Carolyn said are reminders of her generosity and spirit.
“Sometimes Mayer will drive me crazy,” Hostetler said. “I’ll look up and be like, ‘Megan, she’s driving me nuts!'”
After her experience with LifeLink of Florida, Carolyn had the chance to move to Tampa with her family and join the organization’s Hospital Development Team, where she’s been for seven years. With more than 5,000 people in Florida and more than 100,000 people across the country waiting for transplants, she encourages everyone to sign up to be a donor.
If you’d like to register your decision to donate, you can do so at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org.
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