CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are lots of unexpected impacts of COVID-19, including families in Charlotte who could be waiting longer for much-needed organ transplants because organ donation is down in some states.
Turkeesa Reid remembers the last time she saw her son.
“I told him, 'I'll talk to you the next day,'" Reid said. "You always think, 'I'll see you tomorrow.'”
But the next day 19-year-old Christian Reid was hit trying to cross the street on his way to get a snack – he was rushed to the hospital.
“When I walked in there, not what I was expecting – it took my breath away," she said. "I think I said, 'Who is that — I don’t know who that is.' They said 'That’s Christian, he doesn’t have any brain activity.'”
Christian – her firstborn. At 19, he's still just a kid in her mind.
“He was just a good kid- always smiling," Reid said. "Just a loving kid, a giving loving kid.”
He was on life support, and it took his family a day or so to come to grips with their loss and to remember his wishes — Christian was an organ donor.
“He’s a 19-year-old kid – if he could save someone’s life that could be a true testimonial of what he was," Reid said. "Just a giving kid, even in death he was still able to help somebody.”
Her family worked with Lifeshare Carolinas and the team at the hospital. Now, two men in North Carolina have each received one of Christian's kidneys.
“That made me feel good," Reid said. "His body is living in somebody else. Still feel like a piece of him is walking around — it is. So I feel like this is a good thing.”
That gift is more important than ever before because, while organ donation in North Carolina has remained steady through the pandemic, the number of donors in other states is down.
That's impacting people in Charlotte who may be on a transplant list.
Kate McCullough is with Lifeshare Carolinas, the organization that coordinates transplants in the region.
“There could have been waiting longer potentially because of the decline," McCullough said.
Reid said helping other families is helping heal her heartache.
“I have my moments," Reid said. "It doesn’t seem real I want to facetime him and check on him.”
A lot of people think the only way to become an organ donor is to sign up at the DMV — but that’s not true. If you are interested in learning more, you can find information at lifesharecarolinas.org.