Chris Henry's Mother and Organ Recipients Reunite on 'NFL Today'

I was sitting in my mom's living room on Thanksgiving Day watching NFL Today when I was reminded of how much I have to be thankful for. The CBS pre-game NFL show ran a powerful and emotional segment on the four people who received organs from former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry who died last December in Charlotte. Henry died from head injuries after falling off the back of a pickup truck during a domestic dispute with his fiancée. But from his tragic death--he was just 26 years old--came four gifts of life.

Henry’s mother, Carolyn Glaspy, flew to Charlotte earlier this month to meet the four recipients of her son's organs along with their families. It was Glaspy who, in this same hospital, 11 months earlier made the decision to donate her son's organs after he'd been declared brain dead.

Gathered at Carolinas Medical Center, Glaspy met Donna Arnold, James Benton, Thomas Elliott, and Brian Polk. Arnold received Henry's pancreas and one of his kidneys; Benton received his liver; Elliott received his lungs; and Polk received Henry's other kidney. It was an emotional scene as they met Glaspy for the first time and thanked her. She carried a blanket that bore her son's face. “Believe it or not, this is my first tear," Glaspy said. "I think this is my closure. This is what he wanted me to do. I can rest in peace now."

This touching reunion was made possible by LifeShare of the Carolinas and Carolinas Medical Center. After the segment aired, the broadcast returned to the TV studio where sports analyst James Brown was overcome with emotion and his colleague Boomer Esiason had to take over.

Below is video of NFL Today's story, "Chris Henry's Legacy Lives On."



Visit http://www.donatelife.net/ to learn more about becoming an organ donor.