Walter Williams’ Story

Donor father

My son, Omar, was a happy baby with a beautiful, contagious smile. When he died unexpectedly at just five months old, we had a decision to make. We were asked to donate his organs to help other children in need.

While we never discussed this beforehand, we talked about what it would be like if the roles were reversed – if it was our son who needed an organ. Thinking about it that way made the decision easy, and we chose to let Omar save lives.

It was a great feeling knowing that he is helping others, and that three children received a second chance at life because of him. So far, we’ve met Omar’s heart recipient and they immediately felt like family. Seeing the joy that another family experienced because of our decision is wonderful.

Our family has become very involved in promoting organ donation. We want others to know that the decision to donate is life changing, both for the recipient families and the donor’s family.

Walter volunteers with LifeGift.