Nerve Transplantation: A Father's Final Gift

Abstract

Offering the option of organ and tissue donation to grieving families may seem stressful, but asking the question may provide a positive means to extend care to the bereaved family and help others in return. Many donor families have said donation was an opportunity to make some sense out of a senseless situation and to relieve some of the grief they experienced. This article presents a case that started with such a discussion by ICU nurses in one of our donor hospitals, and ended with successful organ and tissue recovery and transplantation. As “routine” as this may sound, it was anything but routine—it made history.