Audrey Wilkens remembers her son, Daniel, as the type of person who loved to stay active and made friends wherever he went. “He was a wonderful son; I loved him deeply with all my heart,” she says.

As Dan grew up, he coached younger kids in basketball, earned an undergraduate degree and MBA, and married the love of his life, Ashley. Together, they enjoyed playing with their dog and hosting friends and family at their house. “Everyone loved him; he just had this thirst for life,” Ashley says.

Tragically, one night in 2022, Ashley woke up in the middle of the night to find Dan unresponsive. Paramedics were able to restart his heart, but due to the amount of time that had passed, Dan was diagnosed with brain death. Because Dan was always the type to help others in times of need, Ashley and Audrey made the courageous decision to donate his heart, lungs, kidneys and liver to save lives.

“If you needed something, Dan was always there to help,” Ashley says. “I figured donation was something he’d want to do. He always had a helping spirit, so this is a way to live on and help others be able to survive.”

Now, Audrey and Ashley volunteer with Versiti, knitting and crocheting comfort shawls for Threads of Compassion, which donates the shawls to other organ and tissue donor families to bring them comfort in their time of loss. They also hope that sharing Dan’s story will bring comfort to other donors and recipients. “I feel like it’s a way to honor Daniel; his story doesn’t end with his death,” Audrey says. “It continues through the people who received his organs.”

Ashley hopes that when others hear Dan’s story, they will be inspired to join the donor registry. “Dan saved six lives. We lost one life, but we saved six with his donation,” she says. “I hope this inspires people to donate so that others can live on.”

Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the organ transplant waiting list.

Approximately 113,000 men, women, and children are waiting for life-saving organ transplants. One organ donor has the power to save up to eight lives and change the outcomes of someone’s world forever by giving them a second chance. Additionally, tissue donation can save and improve the lives of up to 75 people with their gifts. You can make a huge impact by registering as an organ and tissue donor.

Learn more about organ and tissue donation, or register as a donor at https://donatelifewisconsin.org.