Quilts

Garith

"Thank you for allowing a part of my Dad’s life to exist in this temporary world.

Since my dad left this world in January 2009, my life has been drastically changed.

The fact that he donated his kidneys to a single mother in California and a father in New Mexico has brought me a tremendous amount of satisfaction and happy feelings knowing that a part of him still lives on in this temporary world. The single mother was able to go on and support her family and the father in New Mexico went on to continue working toward retirement.

This has affected me for the fact that I will be an organ donor now and I inspire my friends and relatives to do the same thing. My dad’s sisters have all signed up to be organ donors because we know it is an important cause and can bring life to someone else that can go on living to be with their families.

Community and family commitment is a very important trait of our Alaskan Native Culture. We value a family’s well-being and we try to help others in times of need and out of respect for each other.

My Life is different and very sad because my mom, Catherine Tom-Solomon also died within months after my dad’s passing. I am an only child from them and losing both of them at the age of 12 is not what I ever expected to happen. I have an older brother on my dad’s side. We are very close and I am proud to have an older brother, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandmas who care for my well-being. They have allowed me to become a strong, healthy lady who is graduating from West Valley High School of Fairbanks, Alaska during the Spring of 2015. Without the support of my family, friends and relatives, I do not know where I would end up.

Enclosed you will find photos of my dad, mom and myself as a child.

I thank Life Alaska Donor Services for being such a wonderful, highly needed program and allowing a part of my dad’s life to exist in this world today. I hope that more people could hear stories of my kind so that they can encourage others to become organ donors."

Ana ‘Bassee’ (Thank you)

Athabascan Language

Quyana’ (Thank you)

Yupik Language

Amanda Tom-Solomon