“Always remembering Clete, and keeping him in our daily thoughts, and living out his legacy.” – Carrie Schnieders
I met with LifeCenter on June 20, 2018 when my husband, Clete, suffered a traumatic brain injury after a sudden choking accident at home. The two days after my husband’s accident were the most devastating days I have ever experienced. The representatives from LifeCenter came in at my darkest hour, but how they treated me and my family allowed us to see that a part of Clete could live on through organ and tissue donation.
Clete was the type of man that would help out anyone in need. Organ donation was something we spoke briefly about, but I was not certain if he was registered- LifeCenter later confirmed he was a registered donor. Clete and I were only married four and a half short years so I wanted approval from his parents, step-parents and siblings before moving forward with the donation process. Since my husband was a registered organ donor the family was unanimous in wanting to honor Clete’s wishes.
I cannot express enough gratitude to LifeCenter, especially Missy Holliday, who was one of the first people I met at the hospital when discussing donation. LifeCenter has shown my family and I so much love, support, empathy and answered any and all questions- which has made my grieving process a little more tolerable. Clete was able to donate three lifesaving organs and helped several others through his gifts of tissue.
Carrie Schnieders
