For example, a patient's own skin cells may be collected, reprogrammed in a laboratory to give them certain characteristics, and then delivered back to the patient to treat diseases at various places within the body. In addition, two others received his corneas and countless more have received tissue. He changed my life forever.”, Bacardi, a resident of the Bahamas and a member of the Bacardi family that produces rum and other spirits, said that the day after his double lung transplant, at age 63, he took his “first proper breath.”. Make a gift today to support regenerative medicine at Mayo Clinic. Christopher’s organs were donated to five people, one of them being Jorge. Leslie says the couple was amazed by a segment on ABC's "Nightline," a late-night television news program, which showed beating heart tissue that Mayo Clinic researchers had developed from the skin tissue of one of the program's reporters. “He (Christopher) is my hero,” said Whitacre, who lives in Louisiana. That experience inspired the Bacardis to give back in 2009. “He saved my life. “Organ donation just made perfect sense to Christopher,” she said. Others are in clinical trials with patients. “He understood there’s no greater privilege than to serve someone who needs it,” said Eric Gregory, Christopher’s father, who lives with wife, Grace, in Arizona. It came as no surprise to anyone that Chris was a registered organ donor as soon as he had a license to drive. Gregory, who graduated from Mount St. Joseph High School in 2007, died unexpectedly in March 2008 from a brain aneurysm at age 19. Organ donation might be the only pro-life issue that most citizens can agree on. Yes, it is! They, with other family members, made the lead gift to build the Gabriel House of Care on Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, to provide affordable, long-term housing and a supportive environment for visiting transplant and radiation oncology patients. Christopher passed away suddenly in 2008 after suffering a brain aneurysm. The organs were transplanted into other patients on the waiting list. The facility's name honors Christopher Mark Gregory, who lost his life at age 19, and whose gift of organ donation enabled Jorge to receive his transplant. Christopher was a student at Loyola University New Orleans when he died, and his organs went to patients in that region of the United States. Grace Gregory, Christopher’s mom, described her son as practical and “super proud” to be an organ donor. In the awful, bewildering hours after Christopher’s death, my wife … To learn about organ donation, visit organdonor.gov or donatelife.net. Researchers now can differentiate stem cells into skin, brain, lung and many other types of cells. "Of course I’m an organ donor. Your gift helps Mayo Clinic develop next-generation treatments to finally defeat the most feared diseases and cure the most intractable conditions. The film is based on the real-life story of Jorge Bacardi — of the Bacardi Rum dynasty — and Christopher Gregory, an organ donor who tragically and suddenly passed away at the age of 19 from a brain aneurysm. Christopher handed away instantly in 2008 after struggling a mind aneurysm. Their gift also will be used to greatly accelerate regenerative medicine work at Mayo Clinic's Florida campus, and will establish the Jorge and Leslie Bacardi Associate Director for the Center for Regenerative Medicine in Florida, a position currently held by Thomas A. Gonwa, M.D. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, deceased donors can provide their kidneys, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart and intestines, which can be used to save up to eight lives. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. During a Nov. 1 assembly at the Irvington school, about 500 juniors and seniors heard from Gregory’s parents and two of the five people who received his organs. Since he was an organ donor, the 19-year-old's organs went to five people, and one of them was the Cuban native. “He literally lives on.”. Gregory, who graduated from Mount St. Joseph High School in 2007, died unexpectedly in March 2008 from a brain aneurysm at age 19. Since receiving their transplants in 2008, Whitacre and Bacardi have furthered Gregory’s legacy. "We are very grateful for the Bacardis' gift, which will accelerate our ability to provide regenerative medicine solutions to patients," says Dr. Gonwa, who is also chair of the Department of Transplantation at Mayo Clinic in Florida. For information about making a gift, call 855-852-8129 (toll-free). When Christopher Gregory walked out of the Motor Vehicle Administration with his driver’s license in 2006, he also left as an organ donor. The excitement with which we look forward to the advancement of regenerative medicine will keep us hopeful for solutions to many medical mysteries.". © 2020 ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE, ALL RIGHT RESERVED, Charity In Truth: The Blog of Archbishop William E. Lori, The Joy of Believing: A Practical Guide To The Catholic Faith, 2020 School Policy Manual (Updated 10-19-20), Watch Archbishop Lori celebrate Mass for the First Sunday of Advent, Archbishop Lori’s Homily: Mass of Thanksgiving for the Beatification of Bl. All rights reserved. Eric Gregory, his father, wrote this book to chronicle this miracle of science and how meeting these recipients of his son’s organs filled a special need in their hearts that few outside the organ donation …
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