Organ donor’s family comforts others with blanket ministry, encourages the sharing of life

Lake Houston Observer | Stefanie Thomas
Photo: Shannon Lenox, of Huffman, remembers her son Roy Heck as a popular young man who loved life. To honor him and the life-saving gift he made to others through organ donation, she started a blanket ministry to lend comfort to others.

The following is part one of a three-part series the Observer will feature throughout April in recognition of National Donate Life Month in support of the 11,438 patients currently signed up with organ donation registries in Texas. Part two of the series will appear in next week, featuring an interview with the recipient of Roy Heck’s heart and telling the story of the first meeting between the donor and recipient families.

Perhaps it was coincidence, or maybe providence, that mother and son engaged in a seemingly random discussion about organ donation one day in March 2010 while riding home in the car together. Shannon Lenox cannot remember how the subject came up, but her son told her that â€" like his mom â€" he would be willing to donate his organs if anything should happen to him. Two weeks later, 21-year-old Roy Heck died in a car accident.

Since childhood, the former New Caney High School student who had moved to Huffman with his mom and step-dad a few years earlier appeared to squeeze as much fun and excitement as possible out of life. Riding bulls by the age of 9, Roy liked to travel the country as he got older and worked mostly odd jobs so he could pick up and go on adventures whenever the mood struck. Just prior to his death, he thought of possibly joining the military.

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