Late NFL player Ronyell Whitaker may have tragically died at 46. But in death, he saved four people's lives after donating his organs.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The late NFL player died on February 22. Whitaker had played for the Minnesota Vikings, who mourned his death in a statement.
"A gifted athlete, he proudly played high school football for Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Virginia, and college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where his talent, determination and leadership on the field made a lasting impact," his family previously said.
Recently, his partner Laurie Charboneau shared that the late NFL player donated his organs. He was able to save four people's lives as a result.
NFL Player Donates Organs
"Ronyell loved coaching high school kids," Charboneau told M Health Fairview on Wednesday, April 29. "He would introduce himself to the parents and say, 'I'm not just their coach for football. I'm their mentor, so if the kids ever have something going on, I'm here.' He always wanted to help in any way, and I'm sure he felt the same way when he checked the box to be an organ donor."
He "would be very excited to know that his, his life continued on," Charboneau said.
So Whitaker may be gone but parts of him continue to live on. The late NFL player donated his lungs and other organs.
"I do think about them. I think about their families and I think about how their health is now, hoping that they're feeling better," Charboneau told the outlet. "He would have been so proud and happy to have helped them. He donated his heart to science as well. So that's pretty amazing."
His partner plans to keep advocating in Whitaker's honor to help as many people as she can.
"Our role is to honor the donor and their family," Erin Schaden, the unit's nurse manager, told M Health Fairview. "We do that by trying to maximize the gift and supporting the family through one of their hardest moments. We want them to feel supported, respected, and never alone as they spend time with their loved one and navigate the donation process."
