Richie – donor, Vic

He was always a believer in giving, he’d give you the shirt off his back.

Richie was 34 years old when he suffered fatal injuries in a motor vehicle accident.

Richie’s mother Pauline, brother Alex and sister Kendra described him as ‘a beautiful soul; a deep-thinking, incredibly intelligent and special person to everyone.’

Richie’s family made the selfless decision to donate his organs, changing the lives of five people.

‘When the doctors from the Royal Melbourne Hospital asked us if we’d ever
discussed organ donation, it hit home that we were losing him and we wouldn’t be getting him back,’ Alex says.

‘Thankfully we knew explicitly Richie’s wishes, from talking about this over numerous conversations throughout the years.’

‘He was always a believer in giving, he’d give you the shirt off his back.’

‘Generous to a fault, he knew if his body was no longer needed then surely someone else could benefit.’

The plaque at the cemetery where Richie now rests reads ‘everyone’s friend, and a friend to everyone’.

*This donation story was first published in July 2021 with permission.