Samantha Kittilstad remembers her father, John, as a generous individual who loved to hunt, fish, and spend time with his family and friends. “He was such a family man,” she says. “He loved me and my brother, Andrew, and his dog Remy.”

On Dec. 19, 2023, John was at the pool with Samantha’s cousins and grandmother when he went underwater and was unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital, where he sadly passed away. “It’s all kind of up in the air; we’re not entirely sure what caused him to pass,” Samantha says. “It sounded like it was a heart attack.”

Unbeknownst to Samantha, her father had registered as an organ and tissue donor. “He was a loving, selfless man. It didn’t surprise me when I found out he was a donor,” she says. “We came home from the hospital that night and I got a message from somebody at Versiti asking me to call them about tissue donation. At that moment, I was so overwhelmed with emotion.”

Samantha called Versiti the next day, with her brother and grandmother at her side, and made the selfless decision to donate her father’s tissues. “At first, I was upset about letting go of parts of my dad,” she says. “But knowing that it’ll help others is a really rewarding feeling.”

Through this gift, Samantha hopes that her father’s legacy of love will live on. “We thought that this would be what my dad would want,” she says. “He was so selfless and loving. His love was so unconditional, that I just knew this was the right option, because it would help other people. That’s just who my dad was as a person.”

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.