HYANNIS, MASS. (WHDH) - A special connection was on display Monday in Hyannis, where a tragedy was turned into a celebration of life.
A teenager killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident helped save five people’s lives by donating his organs, and Monday, some of those people whose lives are forever changed came together.
Parker Shipman died in October 2017 at the age of 14 after an ATV accident. His family chose to turn tragedy into hope by donating his organs.
“(I’m) very grateful/ I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t have made last Christmas without the donation,” said Kevin Murray, who received lungs from Shipman. “They were able to save five people. (That’s) just overwhelming.”
Parker’s father, J.P. Shipman agreed, acknowledging that “it’s every dad’s nightmare to lose his son.”
“It’s difficult to talk about, even more difficult to wake up in the morning, but the only thing that we’ve been able to draw onto is that the fact that through the organ donation process, five other people’s lives have been changed,” he said.
Jennifer Burns Gayweski, whose daughter, Riley, received Parker’s kidney, said she’ll “never forget the day we got that call that they had a kidney for her.”
Riley struggled with kidney disease all her life, but is now doing a lot better thanks to Parker.
On Monday, Parker’s brother, Brady, was recognized for helping keep Parker alive long enough that Parker’s organs were able to be used in helping to save five others.
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