Elias was born in 2014 with a rare lung disease. After a long journey to figure out the source of his health problems, it became obvious that his outcome was grave. By the age of 10 months, he was considered terminal, and at one year, was listed for a double lung transplant. Known as the “blue boy,” Elias was rapidly declining and unable to move much, breathe well, or eat by mouth.
After 6 months on the waiting list, his parents received the call for new lungs. After a long operation, Elias went from blue to pink! He healed, and began to experience life without the tether of an oxygen cord. He gave his mommy Kim, his daddy Paul, and his two sisters Hannah and Evie, another 11.5 months of love and memories before rejection claimed his life.
Upon his death, Elias completed the circle of life by donating his corneas and his kidneys. A man in California is alive today to see his own children grow up because of his gift of life. He truly is a hero. Donate Life 4 Kids, a non-profit organization benefiting children and their families living in the world of organ transplant, has been set up in his honor in St. Louis.
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