October 23, 2025

Healt Hid

Because health is very important to us

Family of donor speaks out after area hospital carries out first organ donation procedure

Family of donor speaks out after area hospital carries out first organ donation procedure

WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WECT) – Tyrisha Berry says in her father’s life, he always wanted to help others.

“He was this overall stand-up guy,” Tyrisha said. “He was a really good person. He loved fishing, he loved fixing things. He was a diesel mechanic. He served in the United States Marine Corps. He was an exceptional grandfather and an exceptional dad. An exceptional best friend. He was just that guy.”

Now, in death, he’s doing the same thing.

63-year-old Tyrone Berry suffered cardiac arrest and several mini-strokes the week of May 25th. He was transported to Columbus Regional Healthcare System, where a few brain tests confirmed his family’s worst fears.

“We just didn’t know how bad it was until the neurologist came in and performed some tests on Daddy, and unfortunately he could not respond which confirmed everything else that we needed to know,” Tyrisha said. “Reality definitely sunk in.”

Tyrone’s family made the difficult choice to remove his ventilator on Thursday, four days after he first got to the hospital. That’s when they learned that Tyrone was not only an organ donor, but he also had the opportunity to become Columbus Regional Healthcare System’s first-ever organ donor. The hospital has been open for 90 years.

“We’ve had several tissue and eye donations but never an actual organ donation,” Stephanie Wade, Columbus Regional Healthcare System’s donor service liaison said. “I think that part of it is just that we are such a rural hospital.”

The family honored Tyrone’s wishes and prepared him for his honor walk, a special ceremony where hospital staff lined the hallways as the family and doctors wheeled the patient to their operating room.

“We just gather and we line the hallways that they will be coming down and just stand in silence to give them that respect and let them know that we’re here for them as well and we’re a community,” Wade said. “We want to be able to support them and let them know that we’re there if there’s anything that we can do for them.”

Tyrisha, who used to work as an anesthetist, has assisted in organ donation procedures before. She says it was different to go through the experience on the other side.

“It was hard. I’m the only child, so it was very hard,” Tyrisha said.

However, Tyrisha says she finds comfort in knowing her dad will live on by saving others’ lives. She’s already heard that his donation has been able to save one life.

“My dad was successfully able to save the life of a 51-year-old woman with a liver transplant,” Tyrisha said. “It feels really good. It feels really good.”

Wade says Tyrone’s selfless donation has already inspired others to sign up as organ donors.

“I think it reached a lot of people, not only in the community but here in the hospital,” Wade said. “I’ve actually had a staff member reach out and tell me that that actually led them to becoming an organ donor themselves. So, they have registered.”

Wade says one donor can save up to eight lives. More than 4,400 people are on the organ transplant list in North Carolina, with a new person added every 10 minutes.

“Take the time to think about what it would mean for you, your legacy to live on in someone else and be able to help someone else survive,” Wade said.

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