A three-year-old boy is being touted as a young hero after his parents made the difficult decision to donate his organs and tissues after he was declared brain-dead from a drowning accident.
Ezra Jacob Rosario has become the youngest organ donor in the Philippines and the first pedia donor of the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Ezra’s mother, Jennae Carpio, made the bittersweet announcement on social media as she informed her son’s passing.
“Ezra will live on through others. With the support of our families, we decided to donate viable organs left in his body. Ezra’s kidneys are currently being harvested so that he can allow another person to live longer, and his corneas will allow seven other people to see the beauty of the world. This is the legacy we can give our child, so he lives on in the lives of others through sacrifice and the gift of generosity,” she wrote, adding, “What an honor to have a hero for a son.”
Based in the United States, Ezra had been celebrating his birthday with his twin brother, Elijah, at a resort while on vacation in the Philippines earlier this month when he jumped into the deep part of the swimming pool.
The NKTI’s organ retrieval arm, NKTI-HOPE, confirmed that Ezra is its youngest donor.
“Three years of life passed on to others. Short but well-lived for the youngest donor we’ve had since this program started,” it said.
Ezra’s kidneys were donated to a 24-year-old recipient, while his corneas were given to recipients aged three and 22.
“We will make sure Eli knows, and the world knows, that his twin brother, Ezra, is a fighter, a brave, strong, kind, generous boy who fought his hardest battle and ultimately won through his generosity and love. He is a HERO,” Jennae wrote.
Ezra’s parents plan to have the boy’s remains cremated and flown back to the US.
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