Extraordinary People:

Jim Drew

Laurel Schwass-Drew , donor wife
Philadelphia County

Jim and I met as undergraduate students at what is now The University of the Arts in Philadelphia in the early 1980s. We were the perfect match for one another -- we both were interested in creative pursuits such as screen-printing and printmaking media, and enjoyed outdoor activities like swimming, camping, hiking and kayaking. We happily spent the next 20-plus years of our lives together.

My life drastically changed in late April 2001. At the time, Jim and I had been married for 18 years, had just purchased a new home and were busy with various family obligations. Jim had been complaining of a bad headache, which at first, he thought was sinus-related. After enduring the headache for a week, it suddenly became very severe and Jim collapsed. He was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors told me that he suffered a brain aneurysm. The doctors tried to save him, but after 10 days in the ICU, they told me brain death was imminent. I immediately told them I wanted to donate Jim’s organs.

The shock of losing Jim so unexpectedly was overwhelming to me but the hospital staff, doctors and transplant coordinators were very supportive, patient and kind during this difficult time. And knowing that Jim and I had discussed our final wishes with one another a year prior to his death made the decision to donate his organs much easier for me. I knew Jim could save the lives of others through donation and that was what he wanted -- both through our discussions and because he was a designated donor on his driver’s license.

In the end, Jim’s organs -- his heart, liver, and both kidneys and lungs -- were given to six people. Throughout the past five years, I’ve received letters from three recipients. About one month after the donation, I received a thank you note from the recipient of Jim’s left kidney, and a year after donation, I heard from the family of the man who received Jim’s liver. Then, in September 2004, Jim’s left lung recipient sent me a wonderful letter, telling me how much her life had improved as a result of her transplantation. She was back to cooking, shopping, gardening and enjoying time with her grandchildren again. These correspondences, while bittersweet, were also very uplifting and provided me with the affirmation that Jim and I made the right decision in giving someone else another chance at life.

After Jim’s death, I became a volunteer with the Gift of Life Donor Program, which has really helped me in the grieving and healing process. I have the opportunity to share Jim’s story with others, helping them to understand how vital donation is to those who are on the transplant waiting list. My volunteer work has also allowed me to become part of a wonderful, larger family, consisting of other donor families and recipients, one I’m very proud to be a part of. Together, we work to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation because it has had such a positive impact on our lives.

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