Sunday, April 18, 1999
Parents' loving act honored
Medal marks donation of sons' organs
BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Christine and Mike Frank will be recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General for their ultimate contribution.
The Glen Este couple is in Washington, D.C., to receive the Gift of Life Medal at the National Donor Recognition Ceremony today. They donated the organs of their two sons, James and Christopher, who were killed by injuries sustained in a car crash in December 1998.
The Franks said they are simply representing all the Tristate families who have donated organs to help others. And they encourage others to consider signing up to donate their own organs.
“We want to get the point across it is so easy to save someone else's life,” Mr. Frank said.
The Frank boys, students at Glen Este High School, were injured Dec. 1 when James lost control of his car on Interstate 275 near the Beechmont Avenue exit. It swerved into the side of a van, which slammed the car broadside.
James died the next day. The Franks decided to take Christopher off life support a day later. Their organs have changed the lives of several people in need of them.
Today's ceremony is sponsored by the federal Division of Organ Transplantation and the National Kidney Foundation's Donor Council. LifeCenter, the Tristate's organ recovery agency, sponsored the Franks' trip. The ceremony followed a day of support workshops and educational seminars.
“I would like to thank all of our donor families, but especially the Frank family for their generous efforts to raise awareness concerning organ and tissue donation,” said David Lewis, executive director of LifeCenter.
It has not been easy for the Franks, dealing with the loss of their two sons. But they hope going public about their sons' donated organs will encourage others to do the same, Mr. Frank said.
The Cincinnati area tops the rest of Ohio in generosity when considering organ donations. According to the LifeCenter, 46.2 percent of Cincinnati-area residents checked to be organ donors on their driver's license in 1998, compared to 43.2 percent for all of Ohio.
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