Parents of Christina-Taylor Green, 9, Urge Others to Consider Organ Donation
Jan. 18, 2010— -- Roxanna and John Green, who lost their 9-year-old daughter in the Tucson shootings, say they have found some solace in the news this week that Christina-Taylor's organs have saved the life of a little girl in Boston and brought sight to two other children in Arizona.
"It was a blessing when we heard about the children," Roxanna Green told ABCNews.com. "It gives us some comfort that Christina would have wanted this. She was a giver. She was very strong…We didn't think twice about this. We are so honored we could help these children."
She said the family was committed to organ donation and urged others to consider that option after the tragic death of a child. "Take the time and think about this," she said.
"I knew we would need to talk about it as soon as we paid respects to Christina and prayed for her and she was up in heaven with God," said Roxanna Green, a devout Catholic. "She wanted to help others. That's what she wanted to do in life."
The couple learned Monday that their daughter's corneas had saved the eyesight of two children. Christina was the youngest victim of the shooting that left a total of six dead and 13 others wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
"We grew up in this family that believes in helping others, and it's the right thing to do," said Roxanna Green. "In this tragedy I lost my daughter and it was horrible and she is never going to come back, so why not help someone else, to help them live a better life with their sight or organs? It's a fair thing to do."
"This is a really beautiful story," said ABC's Dr. Richard Besser. "How one family in the midst dealing with their own incredible tragedy, reaches out to help another, to bring them something that is so important."
Because not many children die and there is a lack of awareness about organ donation, more than 1,900 children under the age of 18 still sit on the national waiting list, according to Besser.
"It's important to have this conversation," he said. "It can bring meaning and comfort at a time of incredible loss."
John Green, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, said he feared that their daughter's organs would be unusable because of the severity of the gunshot wounds.
"The fact that her organs were able to help people, that was an amazing thing to me," he told the Associated Press. "It's just another thing that this little girl has given the world."
The Greens moved to Tucson specifically so Roxanna could care for her aging mother, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The family has suffered two losses in the last year -- their daughter and Roxanna Green's mother, who died of a brain-bleeding incident at the age of 74, but was otherwise healthy.
"We donated my mother's organs and Christina thought that was fabulous," said her mother.
Roxanna Green said she had no idea the specifics of Christina-Taylor's donations, because the family could not keep up with the phone calls since the Jan. 8 shooting incident.
"Our phone has been ringing 24/7 and we have been waiting to hear," she said.
The recipients of the 9-year-old's organs are also anonymous, unless they decide to speak out.
