The Boy Who Changed the World

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Recommended: Causes and effects of organ donations

It is said that one of a person’s happiest moments in life is when they hold their newborn baby for the first time. Although being a parent is tedious work, many people will not give up their children for anything in the world. Unfortunately in this world, death is inevitable. A parent’s worst nightmare is having to bury their own child. In the book The Nicholas Effect, written by Reg Green, Reg and his wife Maggie were forced to bury their seven year old son Nicholas Green, who died of brain damage. While on vacation with his family in Italy, Nicholas was shot by a group of people who belonged to the Italian Mafia. Upon his death, his parents Reg and Maggie donated seven of his body organs to Italian civilians in need. In this small procedure, they changed the world by spreading the message of organ donation. As he mourned his son, Green faced a period of trial and tribulations. He displayed grief, hospitality, and sense of pride throughout his journey. Green made incessant international appearances, conferences, and interviews all in an effort to live “Viva Nicholas”.

Death is a natural part of one’s life. The effect of death pays a devastating toll on close friends and relatives of the one who has passed. After Nicolas died, his father, Reg went through a lot of grief. Most of his hardships and anguish came from the passing of his young son. “It was the worst night of my life" (12), he quotes when describing the night of Nicholas’s death. Before he passed away, Nicholas’s family came to see him the day after the incident in Calabria. Green takes turns with his wife, sitting with Nicolas, and can only describe the situation in two words, “grim business” (17). At the funeral for Nicholas many people sorrowed together to s...

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...ght his journey. Just like any parent, the birth of a child is always a moment of joy and celebration. As a result of the sudden death of Nicholas, Reg and Maggie never got the chance to fully appreciate the life of him. Although Green went through adversity, he treated people with respect and hospitality. This act of humility and kindness by Green made people aware of the importance of organ donation and how it saves lives. Influenced by the awareness, people all over the world gave recognition to Green and the honorable act he did after the death of his son. Following Nicholas’s death, the number of organ donors tripled, and millions of life have been saved by a single death. Reg Green lost a son, but started a movement to save lives everywhere. He truly lived “Viva Nicholas.”

Works Cited

Green, Reg. The Nicholas Effect. Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2009. Print.

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