April 19, 2024
Zachary Trimm and his mother, Kinza Barney, strike a happy pose on a family outing before his untimely death. Photo courtesy of Kinza Barney.
Kinza Barney holds the hockey jersey of her son, Zachary Trimm, who died after a dirt-bike accident in May 2022, and was an organ donor whose gift saved five lives. Photo by Leah Hennel.
Story by Su-Ling Goh | Photos by Leah Hennel & Nate Luit
An Alberta mother says her teenage son unintentionally gave her family a gift when he told them he wanted to be an organ donor — just a few weeks before his death.
Zachary Trimm was dirt-biking with friends in Grande Prairie in 2022, when he took a jump and crashed. The 15-year-old suffered a severe head injury.
After hours of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on-site and in the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, Trimm was stabilized for transport to the University of Alberta Hospital’s intensive care unit.
His mother Kinza Barney says: “It’s (the Grande Prairie staff’s) dedication that got us to where we are today and allowed us to transport him to Edmonton, where he was met with another army of resources who fought so diligently to keep him with us.”
After trying all they could to save Trimm’s brain function, the ICU team informed his family he would not survive.
“(The ICU team) said, ‘We are so sorry, but there is nothing more than can be done. We want you to know that organ donation is a potential option and we’ll provide resources for your family to discuss this further if you wish’,” says Barney.
That’s when Barney recalled a recent conversation she’d had with her son in their vehicle, while he was practising for his upcoming driver’s test.
“He had asked me, ‘Are you a donor?’ — because he knew that going in to get his (driver’s) licence that eventually that was something that was going to be asked of him.
“I showed him my licence and said, ‘See it says ‘donor’ and there’s a little heart at the bottom … what do you think?’ And he said ‘Absolutely. I want to be an organ donor.’”
Barney feels that chance discussion made all the difference for her family during an extremely dark time.
“Having that conversation with Zachary made the decision his.… If I didn’t have the conversation with him, it would have been a lot more pressure on us in an already challenging situation. And then it becomes about us, and what do we want to do and what do we think is the right thing to do?
“We knew our role is to make sure that Zachary’s wishes are actioned … it took a lot of burden off of us.”
Trimm’s road test was scheduled for his 16th birthday. Instead, he donated his organs that day, saving five lives.
“To us, (organ donation) was a very clear representation of who he was. It’s a very meaningful way for him to continue to live on — and make a difference in others’ lives.”
Alberta Health Services has launched a new public awareness campaign in time for National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, April 21-27. All the Ways is a series of video and print ads showing creative methods of informing loved ones about your decision to donate organs and tissues.
While the campaign’s tone is light-hearted, the goal is to normalize talks about deceased donation. Grieving families faced with the difficult decision to donate often find it easier when they know what their loved one wanted.
“It’s important to have that (donation) discussion with your family as they will have to make that decision when you no longer can make it for yourself,” says Scott Gordon, AHS donor coordinator. “We never want to think about sad or difficult things, but it makes it easier for families to know and honour your wishes if you’ve had that discussion.
“I always tell families that their loved one is a hero for even wanting to try to donate … it’s the ultimate gift of life.”
Barney shares that her son was a caring teen who loved to give hugs and often bought food for homeless people he saw on the street.
“He definitely made us very proud. He left a mark on a lot of people.”
To learn more about organ and tissue donation, and to register your decision, visit GiveLifeAlberta.ca.
