On Tuesday, May 29, 2012, my Connie closed her eyes, took her last breath, and drifted o¬ff to perpetual peacefulness. After 27 months of chemotherapy, doctor visits, CT scans, biopsies, radiation, surgeries, emergency room visits, and pain medication, it had come to this. It was only after I whispered to her that the girls were going to be okay that she decided to ‘rest’ and stopped fighting.
Cancer ravaged her body. It took her hair, her breasts and left her with scars. Throughout all of this there was one unmistakable characteristic. The cancer strengthened her and her unrelenting love for our daughters, Tayler and Ally.
I’m unsure of the exact time that Connie registered to be an organ & tissue donor.
However, I do know she did it with pride and without any hesitation. We even had the state of Ohio Organ Donor license plates. This served as our personal attempt to educate others of the importance of this gift. Connie was the most generous person I knew, so it was only fitting that she chose to register as a donor. My girls today embody this quality of hers. They share her vision, her laugh, her sense of humility, and her unabashed courage.
When a loved one is suddenly called to heaven, there are many different ways you can choose to handle this life altering event. You can choose anger or you can choose to cherish the gifts she and God have bestowed upon you and make the most of those gifts. I was surprised when I was contacted by LifeCenter after her passing. The staff¬ was professional, respectful and above all else, they were genuine. While the cancer had ravaged her organs, her corneas were able to be recovered so they could be used to help awaiting recipients receive the gift of sight. This is the way Connie would have wanted it. The fact that my wife’s passing could give someone else a better quality of life is a true testament to her legacy.
God bless,
Thorb Towles,
Husband of Connie Towles, Cornea Donor
