A mum who died a few days after childbirth had one dying wish – to save others by donating her organs.
Kathleen Thorson, from Oregon, gave birth to her fourth child Theodore, but five days later she was rushed to surgery due to an intracerebral haemorrhage.
She had suffered a postpartum brain bleed and after several surgeries, couldn’t be saved.
But Kathleen was a registered organ donor and wanted to do good beyond her death, and her family honoured her wish.
Kathleen donated 12 organs, including her heart and her lungs, to people who were in desperate need of transplants.
Now, a GoFundMe page has been set up on behalf of the family to cover the medical costs of their youngest son, for Kathleen’s hospital bills, and for upcoming funeral expenses.
The organiser of the crowdfunding page offered a bit more detail about Kathleen and partner Jesse, who is now a single dad.
He wrote: ‘Kathleen’s condition deteriorated to a point that she could no longer survive.
‘As was her wish, we are doing everything we can for her to be the prayed-for miracle of life for certain others in need of organ donations.’
The crowdfunding page has seen a wave of donations in recent days. The total now sits at $119,680 (£91,187), smashing the original target of $95,000 (£72,900).
What is an intracerebral hemorrhage?
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is caused by bleeding within the brain tissue itself – a life-threatening type of stroke.
A stroke occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen and blood supply. ICH is most commonly caused by hypertension, arteriovenous malformations, or head trauma.
Intracranial haemorrhage is a rare, yet potentially devastating event in pregnancy. The risk to the unborn child is also significant.
According to Stanford Children’s Health, approximately one in 100 women experience postpartum hemorrhaging, and it’s more likely to occur after a C-section.
What are the symptoms?
If you experience the symptoms of an ICH, call 999 immediately, Symptoms usually come on suddenly and can vary depending on the location of the bleed. Common symptoms include:
- headache, nausea, and vomiting
- lethargy or confusion
- sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side
- loss of consciousness
- temporary loss of vision
- seizures
After doctors realised they couldn’t save Kathleen, they bought up the topic of organ donation as Kathleen was a registered donor.
‘The nurse told Jesse the chances that someone is a candidate of this magnitude is less than [one] in a million,’ Richard wrote on the GoFundMe page.
‘But anyone who knew Kathleen already knew that.’
Kathleen’s story was shared far and wide and even reached actress Kristen Bell who also runs a line of baby products at HelloBello.
The Good Place actress offered a year’s supply of wipes and nappies for the famil’s youngest, Theodore.
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