Anytime a family member passes away, it’s a horrible tragedy. When Cletus Schneider suddenly passed away, his family was devastated. Still, they took comfort in knowing that parts of him would live on. Cletus was an organ donor. Although his life ended, he was able to save the lives of many other people.
His wife, Carrie, shared the story.
She said:
“I was in the other room talking to Clete, and I was getting annoyed because he wasn’t answering me. When I walked over to him, I realized he was choking. Then, he collapsed.”
She tried to perform CPR and help save Cletus. Despite her actions and the ambulance arriving quickly, he passed away two days later.
After learning that her husband would not recover, Carrie tearfully walked out of the room.
She was surprised to see numerous hospital staff members and strangers lining the hallway. The Life Center Organ Donor Network calls it the Honor Walk.
The center said:
“It’s called an Honor Walk. The breathtaking moment when friends, family, and hospital staff line the halls as a hero who chose to be an organ donor makes their way to save lives. Cletus Schnieder gave the gift of life to more than 50 people through organ and tissue donation… Thanks to the Schneider family for sharing this moment with us.”
Although Carrie was still grieving for her husband, she said the act of kindness touched her heart.
She explained:
“Today was the worst day of my life. My amazing husband was pronounced brain-dead at around 9:30. He signed up to be an organ donor, which made this day even more heartbreaking with all of the tests and pokes they had to do on my love. I know due to his bravery he will give the life to many people… Selfishly I can’t see that far ahead and can only go with what I witnessed was done to Clete today.
“The Honor Walk was so overwhelming with all of the people who came out to support Clete. I can’t believe how many people care about us. The nurses said this is the biggest crowd they have ever seen… Clete is the kind of man I want our boys to become and the kind of man I want our daughter to marry.
“My initial reaction was speechless. I feel like everything paused for a second as I turned the corner and saw all of the people who came out to support us. Letting him go at the end of the hallway was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do. I still have friends and family reach out to me and tell me that being at the Honor Walk was one of the most amazing yet heartbreaking moments of their life.”
Through organ donation, Cletus was able to help save 50 different people.
Carrie shared her story online. Then, she got hundreds of messages from people who had received organs from others and learned how it changed their lives. She explained:
“The first several nights I was getting messages from all over the world, even Australia. One man, in particular, reached out to me from Oregon, he wanted to thank me and Clete. Because of someone like Clete, he received a liver transplant and was able to watch his grandchildren grow up. That story really hit home since Clete also donated his liver.”
Carrie eventually got to meet the man who received her husband’s liver.
She said that she immediately felt a bond with him. He even met her children.
She said:
“After the first two minutes, it felt like we had known each other forever, just like a real family.”
Carrie and her family are still struggling to deal with the death of Cletus, but they are happy to know that something good did come from his passing.
Carrie is a housewife who cares for her children. Cletus did not have life insurance, so the family is now struggling financially. Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe account to help Carrie and her family with funeral expenses and bills.
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