For more than two decades, Kara Peeks impressed her husband and regularly left him marveling at her courage. Her strength and resilience knew no bounds; even in death, she left everyone in awe as she was graced with a record-breaking "honor walk" before donating her organs.
The morning of June 11, 2024 will forever remain in the memory of Chuck Peeks, 49. He told Newsweek that he recalls his beloved wife complaining about "achy legs." She was a healthy mother-of-three, so at the time, they thought nothing of it, but, within hours, their lives were turned upside down.
Kara became short of breath and was having difficulty standing up, before she collapsed in the hallway. Chuck waited what "felt like an eternity" for emergency services to arrive before his wife could be taken to hospital.
Later that day, Chuck, of Richmond, Virginia, watched Kara get hooked up to machines just to keep her alive, as she wasn't able to maintain her own pulse. She had suffered a pulmonary embolism, a clot that stops flow to a lung artery, leading to cardiac arrest.
"I was devastated, and she never came out of a coma after that," Chuck said. "Doctors think that the aching legs could have been a blood clot forming, but they can't be sure.
"She was visited by the neurologist on her second, third, and fourth days in hospital. She had no reaction to stimuli on any visit, and by the third visit, he let me know how grim the situation was."
On June 15, Chuck was given the heartbreaking news that his wife of nearly 19 years was brain-dead, and they should start making arrangements for her passing.
The Honor Walk for Organ Donors
Chuck and Kara had been together for 21 years, half of her life, and raised three children together, aged 20, 13, and 11. Now, the family was left with a reminder of how fragile life can be, and Chuck had to picture a life without his best friend.
However, Kara had one more gift to offer, because she was an organ donor and would go on to save several lives after losing her own.
To commemorate the difference she would make, family, friends, and hospital staff lined the corridors to take part in an "honor walk" at 2:30 p.m. on June 19. Her hospital bed went past swathes of people who paid their respects as she went in for the surgery to harvest her organs.
Before Kara's honor walk, the hospital told Chuck that the biggest turnout they'd had in the past was 40 people. However, with more than double that for Kara's final journey, they set a new record.
"By that point, she had technically passed and was being kept alive on machines. But between 80 and 90 people attended the honor walk just for her, including hospital staff and 47 friends and family who showed up to support," Chuck told Newsweek.
"At that moment, all I could feel was sorrow. Looking back on it, I think half of my tears were those of sorrow, but the other half were joy and pride. There were so many people there for her, and the amazing gift she was sharing with the world."
With over 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, the importance of organ donation can't be understated. Donate Life America says that 5,600 people die every year waiting for an organ transplant, with 86 percent of people waiting for a kidney transplant.
One organ donor can save up to eight lives; donating a cornea can restore two people's sight; and donating tissue can help up to 75 people.
There is still a great need for more donors, as another person is added to the national transplant waiting list every eight minutes. But Donate Life America highlights the incredible progress that has been made already; the U.S. reached its 1 millionth organ transplant in 2022, more than any other country had accomplished.
In 2023, there were more than 23,000 donors who gave organ recipients a second chance at life.
'It Doesn't Costs Anything to Save Lives'
While Chuck is still reeling from the shock of losing his wife, he captured footage of the special moment when she was honored by so many people. He will forever look back at that video fondly. He shared it on Reddit (u/fishfarm20) on June 20, to show just how incredible his wife was to the very end.
"I was moved greatly by the experience and was immensely proud. I felt like everyone needed to see her selfless act," Chuck said. "I'm so happy to have been part of her life for 21 years and to have seen all the people she's touched throughout her life, as well as her passing.
"There are many comments on the post saying that because of her, people are willing to, or already have, changed their donor status, which is amazing. If you can, be an organ donor; it doesn't cost anything to save so many lives," he added.
Although he said that not everyone is eligible, Chuck, who is an organ donor, hopes that his wife's story will highlight the incredible difference it can make. She signed up to be a donor before they met, but she made it clear to Chuck "how important it was to her."
After sharing the emotional video on Reddit, the clip amassed over 65,000 views and more than 2,600 comments in a matter of days. People were full of praise for Kara and the entire Peeks family.
One comment reads: "Sorry for your loss. May you find some solace in knowing a part of your loved one will live on."
Another person responded: "It's one thing to be a superhero in life; it's next level to be a superhero in death."
A third user commented: "Sorry for your loss. Your wife has done a very amazing and selfless thing. A truly beautiful woman."
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