‘He made everything better’: Local man’s organ donation saves three people | Local News

The Ricketts family of Elizabethtown make the most of a tragic situation, in part thanks to their son’s decision to become an organ donor.

Leslie and Johnny Ricketts’ son, Adam Ricketts, 35, died on May 24 of complications from a massive stroke that resulted in brain hemorrhage. His kidneys and liver saved three more.

“It was very hard,” Johnny said. “What a parent has to go through to lose a child is very, very difficult. I lost my son, but I lost my boyfriend too.

Adam was in all respects a kind and generous man who was slow to anger. When he wasn’t working at AGC Automotive, he spent his time enjoying the outdoors, his parents said.

“Adam was so much of an outdoors kid,” Johnny said, describing him as carefree. “It depended on the season, mainly fishing. He did metal detecting, ginseng hunting, mushroom hunting, deer hunting, turkey hunting.

“He was our best friend,” Leslie said. “Personality, you couldn’t have asked for a better child.”

Adam was in hospital for six days after the stroke on May 19, 2019, during which time the family was approached by Kentucky organ donor affiliates. At the meeting, Adam’s girlfriend, Jessica Berry from Brandenburg, informed the family of Adam’s desire to be a donor, even though his license was unsigned.

“The next day someone from KODA came over to talk to us,” Leslie said. “Of course he explained it. Jessica was with us all the time and she said, “Adam and I talked about it”, and that’s all we needed to know.

Berry dated Ricketts for five years, and the couple worked together at AGC Automotive.

“I remember the night we were just sitting there,” she said. “We were just talking about things, God, forgiveness, and we both decided that night that we wanted to be donors.”

Berry said Adam was the answer to his prayers and was always ready to help others, calling him his “knight in shining armor”.

“It’s just who Adam was,” she said. “He always wanted to help someone. … That’s what I liked about Adam.

Adam also helped pick up others when they were down, which is why the decision to be an organ donor didn’t surprise Berry.

“He had such a good heart,” she said. “He improved everything. “

The family said Adam was kept on life support during the week. At the time of the organ harvesting surgery, an honor march at Louisville University Hospital took place as nurses and doctors lined the hallway.

“It was probably the hardest part for me,” Leslie said. “They said, ‘This is the last time you’re going to see him,’ when they put him in that elevator. ‘

The KODA representative kept the family informed throughout the process to include the beneficiaries’ surgeries and their condition, the family said.

“He was very calm, explained everything and told us to think about it,” Leslie said. “He was there all week.

Leslie said the support they received over the week from friends, family, church members and others is what kept them going.

“I couldn’t tell you the support we got, it helped us,” she said. “This support simply meant the world.”

After Adam’s death and funeral, the family was given the option through KODA to allow recipients to contact them. The Ricketts decided to allow it.

From there they received a letter from Lindy Edwards, one of Adam’s liver recipients. Edwards needed a kidney after previous complications of cancer and hepatitis C.

Edwards said writing a letter of appreciation was something he had to do.

“When someone does something so overwhelming for you, I couldn’t go and thank you,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine not saying thank you. So that’s what I did.

A bond formed instantly, the Rickets said. Soon Edwards, 64, of Virginia Beach, Va., And the Ricketts were talking on the phone and sharing stories.

“I received Leslie’s papers from her around the same time she received mine,” Edwards said. “We reached out and called each other at exactly the same time. It was just really cool.

After befriending Edwards, he suggested a possible meeting between all of the recipients and the Rickets.

“He said, ‘Do you think the three of us could get together?’ Said Leslie. “(KODA) got down to it and they got everyone together.”

The Rickets were able to meet the three recipients and their families at a rally on September 10 in Louisville.

Edwards was joined by Sarah Trumbo from Paris, Kentucky, and Kurt Baldocchi from New Albany, Indiana.

“I don’t know if you can say we were looking forward to this, but we knew it would be both heartwarming and bittersweet,” Leslie said of the reunion.

Trumbo has been on dialysis for 13 years and waited over a decade for a kidney transplant as all other attempts have failed.

“When this happened, I would love to get to know the family and let them know about me,” she said. “I wanted them to always know that their son lives in me.”

Trumbo said that as he hugged Leslie at the rally, a calm overwhelmed him.

“Adam is here with us,” she said. “It’s like we’ve all become a family.”

Leslie agreed.

“It was the warmest hug,” she said. “I could smell (Adam). There was a connection and we had a connection.

Johnny said he saw his son in each of the containers.

“To see their smile, we can see Adam,” he said.

Edwards and Trumbo said the reunion was difficult knowing that Adam’s death was what gave them a second chance at life.

“I hate it because something like this had to happen,” Trumbo said. “It weighs on me that this was to happen, but I feel better knowing that he still lives in me.”

“I guess everyone who gets a transplant experiences a little survivor’s guilt,” Edwards said. “You wonder why you were chosen to live and not the other person. … I just concluded that we cannot guess God.

The Rickett’s said the reunion was a step in their healing process and now they feel their family has grown.

“We will probably be friends for life,” Leslie said. “It’s just heartwarming. I think it helped us heal.

And now they are all organ donation advocates.

“I would definitely advise everyone in the world to be an organ donor,” he said. “I see no reason not to. When you see what good it could do, if everyone in the world were an organ donor, there probably wouldn’t even be a waiting list.

Trumbo said she’s a witness to why it’s important to sign the back of your driver’s license to be a donor.

“God gave me a second chance, and I’m going to run with that second chance. I will live my life to the fullest. I will take care of this kidney and I will cherish this kidney. I really believe that’s what Adam would like me to do.

Gina Clear can be contacted at 270-505-1418 or [email protected].