Jackie Pische knew that her son, Joshua Richards, had signed up to be an organ and tissue donor when he received his driver’s license at age 16. “If you knew him at all, then you would know that this wasn’t much of a decision for him. He was always one to give,” said Jackie.
In the early morning hours of December 8, 2013, Jackie and her husband, Mike, were awakened to the news that 25-year-old Josh had been critically injured by a gunshot wound to the head. Despite all the efforts of the emergency and hospital staff, Jackie lost her beloved son and friend. According to Jackie, Josh had been a gifted athlete and was in excellent physical shape.
“Seven people were immediately gifted with Josh’s organs and tissue,” she stated. “Many more are sure to benefit from his generous decision in the years to come. As it turns out, I already have.”
Only five days before Josh died, Jackie had been in the same hospital for spinal surgery to help her chronic back pain. Like Josh, she loved to play sports, ride horses, and be outdoors, and she wanted to get back to these activities. Unfortunately, her first procedure did not relieve her symptoms, and the pain and numbness increasingly worsened. A second procedure was needed which required tissue from a donor.
In between the two procedures, Jackie, her family and a few of Josh’s friend started a foundation to raise funds and awareness of the importance of organ, tissue and eye donation. She became so involved with the foundation that she delayed her surgery twice. Jackie noted that, “I finally settled on a date in August, which turned out to be a great decision.”
“Before my surgery, I was able to connect with representatives of the American Tissue Services Foundation (ATSF) at a Donate Life flag-raising event at the hospital where Josh and I had been treated,” she recalled. “Sort of off-the-cuff, I asked if any of Josh’s tissue could be used for my procedure. A few weeks later, they told me that Josh’s tissue was ready and waiting for me, thanks to Medtronic Spinal. On August 27, 2014, I had the second surgery.”
Jackie remembers her son with great love and pride. “Josh is my beloved son and despite his death he will always be with me and I with him, she said, “To be given the privilege of having his tissue help me in my surgery and recovery is an honor, and I will be eternally grateful to ATSF and Medtronic. Josh was an amazing individual and as his mom, I am so very proud of the way he conducted his life and how he made such selfless decisions, especially to be an organ and tissue donor.”