Christopher Wade Tyler's death gives life to others

There are no finer Christian people in the known world than Cliff and Betty Tyler. I had the privilege of being their pastor at Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta for over nine years. Cliff is on The Christian Index Board of Directors and has served as chairman of the board. He has been a faithful prayer partner for years.

God blessed the Tylers with two fine sons, Chris and Ryan, both of whom work(ed) with their dad at Merrill Lynch. Chris suffered with a bipolar disorder and in a state of depression took his life almost one year ago at 33 years of age.

Chris had been a sparkling running back for the Wheeler High School football team in Marietta. His friends hailed him as a gregarious, winsome individual. He was a Christian who loved the Lord and faithfully read his Bible.

Christopher Wade Tyler got off the medication for his bipolar disorder, perhaps thinking he could conquer the problem without the prescribed treatment. Unfortunately, that did not happen and this world lost a very bright and promising young adult.

However, Chris was an organ donor. When I got my last driver’s license I was asked if I wanted to be an organ donor and I said, “Yes.” My driver’s license signifies in bright red letters that I am a donor. It seemed a benevolent thing to do, but I really never gave it much thought.

Although Chris’ death was tragic and painful for all those who loved him, it is amazing how many have been helped by his willingness to be an organ donor. LifeLink of Georgia, an independent, non-profit organ and tissue recovery organization, has provided the following information about the distribution of his organs:

“Christopher’s heart recipient is a 55-year-old male, who was transplanted in Georgia. He was very sick at the time of the transplant and had been waiting for 21 days.

“A 41-year-old female, who was transplanted in Alabama, received his right lung. She had been waiting 390 days.

“The recipient of Christopher’s left lung is a 57-year-old male who lives in Georgia. He is married and has children. He was also very sick and had only been waiting for three days.

“A 48-year-old male received Christopher’s pancreas and right kidney. He is married and works part-time as a brick mason. His kidneys failed due to diabetes and he had been on dialysis since 2004. He now does not need insulin or dialysis.

“Christopher’s liver and left kidney went to a 56-year-old father of three children. He works as a salesman and enjoys swimming, basketball, and gardening in his spare time.

“The bone tissue that was recovered from Christopher has been used to benefit up to 20 separate individuals who suffer from a variety of orthopedic problems, including injuries resulting from trauma, defects caused by tumors, and various other orthopedic deformities. The use of whole bone grafts has, in some instances, eliminated the need for an amputation of a diseased limb and has resulted in improving the quality of life of the recipient.

“The skin grafts that were recovered from Christopher will aid in the treatment of patients who have suffered severe burns. Physicians transplant the grafts onto burn patients, shortening an otherwise longer healing process, enhancing lives and, in many cases, saving them.”

The Tylers have received letters from some of the recipients of Chris’ organs. Read these excerpts from Steve, the recipient of Chris’ heart.

“I received Christopher’s heart. My own heart had worn down and was in bad shape. It would cause bad heart arrhythmia and cause my heart to stop pumping blood. I had to have a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted for the last year-and-a half before my transplant.

“Near the end before my transplant I would receive electrical shocks about once or twice a week. A couple of times I actually died before my device would shock my heart and make it start to beat once again. The shocks hurt and were almost unbearable. Near the end I could feel the shock building and could tell I would be shocked any second. That feeling still haunts me today. The shocks were so frequent and so hurtful that I was afraid to exert much energy.

“I had to take my youngest son out of high school to stay with me for the year-and-a-half so he could take care of me and assist me in my daily activities and needs. My son was great. He is so young to be placed in such a difficult position. He responded well under the circumstances.

“My family and I want you to know we continue to have Christopher in our thoughts and prayers. He gave the ultimate gift, the gift of life. He turned his personal tragedy into a life-saving gift for others. His gift meant more to my family and me than anyone will ever know. I regret I cannot tell him to his face or meet him and shake his hand and give him a heart-felt hug.”

Obviously, there is much more to this story, but I wanted you to know a little about the Tylers and Chris’ life and legacy. His legacy is one of selflessness and his death begins to make a very small degree of sense when you begin to think of all the people to whom he has given added life on earth.

And yes, I would be remiss if I didn’t point you to the One who died on Calvary that each one of us might be given eternal life. Adrian Rogers used to say, “Jesus is unique, because He will not only add years to your life; He will add life to your years.”