Many people donate their organs including celebrities. Some donated their organs to loved ones or others donated them to a stranger for no reason except to help them. Donating an organ gives the other person a chance to actually live longer.
Check out these 10 Celebrities Who Have Donated Their Organs
10. Lori Palatnik – donated a kidney
Lori Palatnik is a famous Orthodox Jewish educator. She is also a blogger, speaker and an author. She also founded the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project. Her birth place is Toronto, Canada. Back in the year 2008 she did something very brave. She donated her kidney to a stranger. She gave someone else a chance to live longer because of it.
9. Everson Walls- donated a kidney
If you’re into the NFL then you probably know the former NFL player Everson Walls. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants. Back in 2006, Ron Springs, his Dallas Cowboy teammate had diabetes and needed a new kidney. Everson Walls decided to donate his kidney to his teammate and helped him out. Sadly, Ron Springs died at age 54 regardless of Everson Walls donating his kidney.
8. Zell Kravinsky – donated his kidney
Zell Kravinsky is a very famous American investor. He not only donated his kidney to a stranger but he also donated $45 million to charity. Zell Kravinsky is also a known poet. He earned two Ph.D degrees at the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed doctoral degrees in cultural anthropology. He’s also worked for insurance companies, helped with teaching the learning disabled plus the emotionally disturbed and he also helped with teaching transcendental meditation.
7. Oscar Robertson – donated his kidney
Oscar Robertson, is a retired American National Basketball Association player. He’s known as the Big O. He played for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cincinnati Royals. He donated his kidney to his daughter Tia back in the year 1997. His daughter suffers from Lupus and they have been through a lot together because of it. He said he hopes it’s something that any parent would do for their child.
6. Natasha Richardson – donated heart, liver and kidneys
Natasha Richardson was married to the famous Liam Neeson. She died unexpectedly in a skiing accident. When she died, her heart, liver and kidneys were donated. She was in the movies Maid In Manhattan, Nell, The Parent Trap, The Handmaid’s Tale and Patty Hearst. She was a member of the Redgrave Family. It was amazing that she had it to where if she died her heart, liver and kidneys would be donated. Her death might have saved a few people.
5. Ann Serrano – donated her kidney
Ann Serrano, both an actress and producer donated her kidney. She donated her kidney to George Lopez back in 2005. Sadly, 5 years later they ended up divorcing. Back in 2009 she was in Mr. Troop Mom. In 2004 she was also in the movie Naughty or Nice. George Lopez and Ann Serrano were married for 17 years. They worked hard on trying to keep their marriage together but it just didn’t work for the two of them.
4. Jake Garn – donated his kidney
Jake Garn was a Space Shuttle specialist and US. Senator. In 1986, he donated his kidney to his daughter Susan who is diabetic. On April 12-19, 1985 Garn was able to become one of the first members of the USA Congress to fly in space. He was on the NASA mission with the STS-51-D and was a Payload Specialist for NASA. He felt very honored that he could donate his kidney to his daughter.
3. Serial Killer Charles Cullen – donated a kidney
Charles Cullen, convicted serial killer donated one of his kidneys to his former girlfriends brother back in 2006. He was convicted for at least 11 consecutive life sentences. His profession at the time was a physician and a nurse. He first admitted that he had killed up to around 40 patients during the time of his career. However, after many interviews it was evident that he killed many more people under his care. Experts claim that he might have killed over 300 people. This would make him one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.
2. Blessed Carlo Gnocchi – donated his corneas
Before Blessed Carlo Gnocchi died in 1956, he donated his corneas to two blind children. He was not only an Italian priest but he was a writer and an educator. The Catholic Church venerated him as blessed for all that he accomplished when he was alive. He was a military chaplain of the Alpini during World War II and he tried his best to strive towards easing wounds of people who had suffered from the war.
1. Jerry Orbach – donated his eyes
Jerry Orbach was another one who decided to donate his organs when he died but he was very selective as to what organs he donated. He only donated his eyes. His widow was the one who actually donated them. Jerry Orbach was an American Actor and a singer. He was known for his roles in Dirty Dancing, Prince of the City and his recurring TV role in Murder, She Wrote. He also was famous for his NYPD Detective role as Lennie Briscoe in Law & Order on NBC. This makes me think of the song “Jeepers Creepers, Where did you get those peepers, Jeepers, Creepers, where did you get those eyes?”
Conclusion
You never know what might happen when you donate an organ to someone. Perhaps, donating a kidney is one of the most famous organs that is donated. Regardless of what kind of organ is donated, it takes a lot of bravery and courage to do it.