Brandon Curtis, 18, was "called on his mission" early when he died Wednesday, July 28, 2010 from injuries sustained in a rollover accident after football practice at Springville High.
Born on April 28, 1992, to Jesse and Dianne (Schouten) Curtis, Brandon loved life and was loved by all who knew him. He was known for his smile and the twinkle in his eye. His smile defined him; it could light up a room. His sense of humor kept his family in stitches; he turned arguments into laughter consistently. He had an amazing, loving, helpful, personality, giving 100 percent in all he did. He was as perfect a son, brother, cousin and friend as could be asked for. He was his mom's help, support, and joy. He was the oldest of 7 children and was the perfect big brother to all.
Brandon was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and fulfilled his priesthood responsibilities with dignity and honor. He went on several appointments with the missionaries and was so excited to serve a full-time mission. He was also an Eagle Scout having completed his project just days before his 18th birthday.
Brandon excelled in athletics and was a member of the football, wrestling, and track teams at Springville High School. His coaches and teammates thought of him as a compassionate, natural leader; a hard worker and a very giving person, a person that they would like their sons to grow up and be like.
A good friend, mentor, and 2nd Dad to Brandon, Matt Day, said, "Brandon took up a large piece of real estate in the heart of everyone he came in contact with and it's going to stay that way.""When he first got his driver's license he asked both of us what it meant to be an organ donor. And we explained it to him and he said 'gosh, well if I’m dead and they can use parts of my body, then why not,'" said Brandon's father Jesse Curtis.
But Brandon's parents never imagined that their son's organs would someday save lives. His eyes now belong to a 40-year-old Orem woman. His heart is now beating again within a 66-year-old man’s chest. And his bones, used in an operation to help a 15-year-old Centerville boy, once wheelchair bound, is now able to walk again.
"We know through Brandon's donation that he lives on in a lot of ways. It's a gift to us, to see the lives he's blessed because that was truly him. He was a giver," says Brandon's father. "To have that as kind of a last thing he gave, even after death, which is just awesome, awesome."
Brandon's mother, Dianne Curtis, had a coincidental meeting with a Tooele woman a year after her son's death. A stranger at the time, the woman asked Dianne directions to the cemetery where Brandon was buried and the location of his gravesite.
"She said, 'a year ago today I received a kidney and a pancreas from your son.'" says Brandon's mother. "She said after the surgery, she was laying there, she said she closed her eyes and she said she saw him, and because he was in the paper, she recognized him and said 'that's the boy, that's the boy I saw,'" said Brandon's mother.
Brandon's parents say their loss continues to give so many a new lease on life and they are sharing their story in hopes of inspiring others to become organ donors.