For nearly a decade, Trish Reichert and her family have had to handle the grief that comes with losing two family members in less than 6 weeks.
The first family member to pass was Trish’s 23-year-old son, who died in his sleep, according to Trish.
“Gary had just started a job and his life seemed to be doing good, but that didn’t last long,” Trish told Patch.
Then 6 weeks later, her 55-year-old brother-in-law passed away.
“Bill was a talker, he loved his Budweiser and his steaks,” she said.
Years earlier, Gary had checked the organ donor box on his driver’s license, according to Trish. Upon Gary’s death, several of his organs were donated to individuals who needed them, some of the approximately 2,600 New Jersey residents who need a life-saving organ or tissue transplant, according to Gift of Life, an organization that raises organ donation awareness.