Once again, the UT community has experienced great sadness. With the death of Erik Nicoletti the fragility of life has been made clear to all of us. From the vigil held on campus to the postings on Facebook, the friends and acquaintances of Erik have demonstrated how many people’s lives this young man touched. For each person who knew him, the loss will remain for a lifetime.
There is another legacy of Erik Nicoletti that some of you may not know. Through the anger, sadness, and unimaginable grief Erik’s parents, Jose and Dorothy, made a very difficult choice. Erik’s parents donated his organs when it became clear that he had no chance of recovery. They made a decision that other people should have a chance at life – a chance their son no longer had. By making the decision to donate life to others, many recipients and their families had a reason to celebrate Thanksgiving in a way few of us can ever appreciate. Erik will live on through the gift his parents made – the gift of life.
There is a growing need for organs in Florida; nearly 3,000 people are waiting on a kidney transplant while hundreds more wait for hearts, lungs and livers – some of these people need multiple organs. Many of these people will not live long enough to receive a transplant because there are not enough donors. If you have signed your driver’s license indicating that you want to be an organ donor, you need to let your family know your wishes because even if you have signed your license stating your wish to be a donor, your next of kin will make the ultimate decision. If you have not decided to be an organ donor, investigate the possibility of doing so.
The legacy that Jose and Dorothy Nicoletti made possible for their son will reach scores of people, the organ recipient, their families, friends, and their neighbors. All the comments online indicated how loving, caring and nice Erik was; now we know where he got those qualities. When faced with the death of their son, Jose and Dorothy Nicoletti chose life for others. Let that be a lesson for all of us.
Dr. Susan Brinkley
Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice