Waiting for “the call” from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center was emotional for the family of Middletown’s fire chief. They were anxiously awaiting word that a donated liver was a match for Paul Lolli, but they realized that also meant another family had lost a loved one. It was difficult celebrating an organ donation, a life-saving decision, when another family was planning a funeral, said Lolli’s sister.
“You almost feel guilty,” Ginger Bruggeman said.
That’s a common feeling among those who receive life-saving organ transplants and their families, said Andi Johnson, community relations director for LifeCenter Organ Donor Network. But she said families can find comfort when they realize the donated “gift” will improve the quality of life for their loved one.