[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/chris-persinger.jpg” alt=”chris persinger” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
17-year-old Chris Persinger left behind a special gift after he died in a car accident. He donated his tissues and eyes, which helped 64 people improve their lives.<\/p>\n
Chris\u2019 last tissue gift was given to his sister Caitlyn. The now 18-year-old Mukwonago resident and UW-La Crosse student received her brother\u2019s one last remaining tissue to repair ligaments in her knee, torn during a soccer game.<\/p>\n
On New Year\u2019s Day, it\u2019s Caitlyn\u2019s turn to give Chris a gift. She will honor him by riding the Donate Life Rose Parade Float in Pasadena, Calif., to commemorate tissue and organ donors and those who benefited from the gift of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful to be a part of something that has so much meaning behind it,\u201d Caitlyn says. \u201cI hope people will begin to realize the importance of donation.\u201d Her parents, Shelley and Todd Persinger, and her sister Courtney will accompany her on the trip.<\/p>\n
Caitlyn says the road to recovery was long following her transplant surgery at Aurora Medical Center in Summit, Wis., but she was able to return to playing high school sports. She describes her knee function now as \u201cperfectly fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
For orthopedic surgeon Robert Seipel, M.D., the outcome is satisfying, but the circumstances leading up to the surgery were almost unheard of. He says it\u2019s rare that a patient receives tissue from a relative, and in Caitlyn\u2019s case, the tissue needed to be one of the grafts typically used for reconstructing the anterior cruciate ligament. The fact that her brother\u2019s one remaining tissue met the criteria for her knee reconstruction was almost a miracle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty amazing,\u201d Dr. Seipel says, adding that Caitlyn\u2019s successful surgery \u201cmeans she truly will always have her brother with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
The experience has moved the Persinger family to become donation advocates. Caitlyn learned so much about donation that it was the topic of a persuasive speech she gave in one of her classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonation is a personal choice and I respect that,\u201d Shelley says. \u201cBut I hope people become aware of the facts about donation so they can make an educated choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shelley says the family is excited to be making the trip and looks forward to the many activities they\u2019ll participate in with other donor family members. That includes helping decorate the float and adding roses to the float\u2019s dedication garden. The roses bear personal messages honoring Chris and the many others that made the gift of life possible.<\/p>\n
Caitlyn is one of 32 float riders representing donor family members, transplant recipients and living donors. The float, \u201cJourneys of the Heart,\u201d depicts a collection of hearts symbolizing new life made possible by transplantation. The Persingers\u2019 trip is sponsored by American Tissue Services Foundation.<\/p>\n
The Donate Life float is supported by more than 120 official sponsors from coast to coast. The 124th Rose Parade, themed \u201cOh, the Places You\u2019ll Go!\u201d will take place Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, at 10 a.m. Central Time, and features floral floats, equestrian units and marching bands.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
17-year-old Chris Persinger left behind a special gift after he died in a car accident. He donated his tissues and eyes, which helped 64 people improve their lives. Chris\u2019 last tissue gift was given to his sister Caitlyn. The now 18-year-old Mukwonago resident and UW-La Crosse student received her brother\u2019s one last remaining tissue to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-987495408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987495408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=987495408"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987495408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":987495843,"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987495408\/revisions\/987495843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=987495408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=987495408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwdproduction.com\/ats\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=987495408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}