When Chuck Peeks lost his wife last month, he wanted her legacy to be remembered. Now, thousands on the internet — along with a staggering amount of hospital guests — help her story live on.
Peeks’ wife, Kara, passed away in June, just before her 43rd birthday. She was a healthy mother of three, but suddenly had breathing difficulties and collapsed at the start of the summer, according to Newsweek. Kara was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and slipped into a coma, soon to be tragically declared brain-dead.
She was an organ donor and was kept alive by support systems before being taken to her “Honor Walk,” which occurs when these donors are wheeled in a gurney to the operating room, as hospital staff, family, and loved ones stand in the hallway to bid them goodbye.
Kara’s Honor Walk — which Peeks shared on Reddit last month — wasn’t limited to her beloved husband and children but actually broke the hospital’s record.
“Forty-seven of our friends, family, and coworkers showed up to shatter the prior record,” Peeks wrote on Reddit, with an accompanying video. The hospital’s prior record was 40 guests during an honor walk.
Including hospital staff, Kara was bid a fond farewell by 80 to 90 people.
Kara’s “walk-off” song was “Ode To My Family” by The Cranberries, which played while dozens of people lined up in the hospital’s hallways to honor and cherish her last special moments.
“My oldest picked her ‘walk off’ music,” Peeks wrote on Reddit. “Spot on perfect for her.”
The video of this emotional moment has received 65,000 upvotes on Reddit since it was posted last month, with thousands of supportive comments.
“I work in the Organ Procurement field and thank you and your wife for the gift that will be given to save others,” one commenter wrote. “Sorry for your loss. May you find some solace in knowing a part of your loved one will live on.”
Another added: “It’s one thing to be a superhero in life; it’s next-level to be a superhero in death.” Peeks replied, adding: “She was a superhero in life as well. She worked with special needs children at the elementary school that all three of our kids went to.”
Dozens of others shared stories about how organ transplants gave them more time with their own loved ones, providing empathy for Peeks and his family, while also offering sincere gratitude for this act of generosity.
“I was moved greatly by the experience and was immensely proud,” Peeks told Newsweek, adding that he felt “everyone needed to see her selfless act.”
He also said he hopes Kara’s story inspires others to become organ donors, who save thousands of lives in the United States every year.
According to Donate Life, there are over 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list. One organ donor can save up to eight lives; donating a cornea can restore two people’s sight; and donating tissue can help up to 75 people.
“There are many comments on the post saying that because of her, people are willing to, or already have, changed their donor status, which is amazing,” Peeks told Newsweek. “If you can, be an organ donor; it doesn't cost anything to save so many lives.”
Header images courtesy of Chuck Peeks/Reddit
