I found my son's donor in 2008. He never responded to our communication. His sister contacted us in 2010 to tell us that the donor suffered an aortic dissection in 2007 and nearly died. Also, it turned out to be a genetic defect in the connective tissue of the aortic root. His two brothers and his mother also had the same problem, all long after the donor stopped making donations. When my son was checked, he also had an aneurysm. His open heart surgery to correct the defect was in June of 2010. Due to the DSR, I was also able to alert the parents of the five known half-sibs. I was also able to find the two other clinics where the donor donated and alert them. The DSR saved lives!!

Rebecca Blackwell, mom to Tyler, age 17.