Becoming an Organ Donor

Shawn Stockwell was 9 years old when he recieved a heart transplant

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By KTVA CBS 11 News
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Story Created: Apr 10, 2012 at 8:08 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Apr 11, 2012 at 8:02 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE- One Anchorage boy is alive today because of the generosity of others. In 2008, Shawn Stockwell was 9 years old and had a heart transplant.

Tuesday, Shawn Stockwell visited Providence Medical Center to remind people that just one donor can save 50 lives and urged people to register to become organ donors.

His family said before his new heart finally came life was almost more than they could take.

"It was agonizing; we were constantly watching our son slowly fade away from us, and at one point he quit planning for his future and I think that's when we knew we were losing our son,” said Trisha Stockwell. “He no longer talked about what car he wanted when he was 16 and he talked more and more about what kind of funeral he wanted"

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, each year more than 7,000 people die while waiting for an organ transplant.

If you would like more information on how to become an organ donor, click here.

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Little Eddie said on Wednesday, Apr 11 at 1:59 AM

I have seen the damage done to bodies that have become organ donors. Public viewing is almost certainly out of the question after the body is severely butchered, the shin is peeled off the body leaving something out of a sci-fi movie that is unimaginable to most. The body leaks of blood & Embalming fluids, the eye sockets leak after the eyeballs have been taken...Yeah, that's how I want to be remembered!

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Amber said on Wednesday, Apr 11 at 6:59 AM

Little Eddie....at least you would be remembered as a hero.

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Amy said on Monday, Feb 18 at 3:17 AM

You might try cremation after donating your organs if you're so worried about how your dead body will be remembered. Or how about a closed casket?

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