After losing her husband, Suzette Meyer made the hard decision to donate his organs; the family and hospital staff lined the corridor to say goodbye as he was wheeled towards saving lives.
Fourways, South Africa (13 August 2024) – The Meyer family have faced a devastating loss, losing the head of their home, father of three and dedicated husband, Warren Meyer, at the age of 43. Suzette shared that the day started like any other and suddenly took a turn. When she got the news Warren was declared brain dead, Suzette opted to donate his organs. She is sharing their story to show what it is really like when a family faces such a big loss and a momentous decision.
Suzette shared that the family was in bed together, enjoying a morning coffee and catching up, when Warren went into cardiac arrest. Suzette started CPR as the girls ran for help. The neighbours rallied to help, continuing CPR and supporting Suzette with the next steps. When the ambulance didn’t arrive, neighbours helped get Warren into the car and off to the local emergency room.
“I sat outside the doors of the ER while I could hear them working on him, shock him and the monitor flatlining. After more than an hour, a Doctor came to tell me that they had a faint pulse, but he was critical and on life support. They did a brain and CT scan, which showed swelling on the brain (standard for prolonged resuscitation), but there were signs of brain life).
An angiogram showed a healthy heart. There were no signs of brain stress or bleeding. The doctors could not give me the cause of the cardiac arrest.
Warren fought hard, but his kidneys started to fail and he required dialysis. On day two, they weaned him off the sedation (sedation was needed to heal the brain and stop the seizures). We prayed that he would wake up.”
The family waited, prayed and hoped for Warren to wake up. When the doctors declared Warren was brain dead, Suzette was devastated.
“His doctor approached me with two options: we could do a post-mortem to find out the cause of death, or we could donate his organs and save up to 7 lives. Warren was passionate about giving and helping, and it was a no-brainer; we would forego a post-mortem and donate his organs and save lives.”
Six days after the initial incident, Warren was wheeled into surgery, where his organs were harvested to save other lives. Mila (12 years), Emily (10 years) and Olivia (5 years) joined Suzette as they said their final goodbyes alongside the support of so many people.
“On Friday, the 26th of July, at 9 am, hundreds of members of staff, friends, family and strangers lined the corridors of Fourways Life hospital as my darling husband and hero were wheeled into the theatre so his organs could be harvested. The staff sang, and my three girls and I followed with tears streaming down our faces. As I gave him his last kiss, I screamed in anger and agony, as I could not imagine life without my energetic, hands-on husband. I wish with all my heart that this was a gift we did not have to give, but he is a hero in life and death.”
Suzette was shocked to hear that Warren’s donation was the first of this year at the hospital. She decided to share his story in the hope of encouraging more families to make this sacrifice.
“Unfortunately, the hospital staff told us that Warren’s heroic act is less common than we may think. It would be a blessing if they get two organ donors a year. So far, it has only been Warren. Please consider becoming a donor. It is one of the most valuable gifts you can leave behind.”
Suzette reached out to Good Things Guy, asking us to spread the news and encourage people to register as organ donors and for families to consider organ donation should they ever be in the same situation.
“Please follow this link to become an Organ Donor and honour my sweet husband’s precious life by following suit and saving lives: https://odf.org.za.”
When Suzette got home, she started tidying and closed Warren’s laptop which he had opened while making coffee that morning. It was then she saw he had received news of a setback at work, following on from various other work stresses; it was likely Warren went into cardiac arrest due to extreme stress.
Now that things are starting to settle in, the bills and expenses are adding up. Suzette is now a single mother of three.
“We had a hospital plan, but the medical bills are pouring in, and I am feeling completely overwhelmed.”
The family suggested that Suzette set up a BackaBuddy to raise funds needed to cover all the additional expenses. Already, the family and community have donated 51% of the total fund. If you would like to help Suzette, Mila, Emily and Olivia – you can do so here.
Sources: Supplied
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:
Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
https://youtu.be/C4d4pClxzxk
Husband and husband.
by 