Organ Donor's Sister's Special Wedding

The tragedy of a young man's senseless death in February 2001 has turned to hope, with several people receiving the gift of prolonged, vastly improved lives.

Kris Kime's organs were donated to five recipients.

Kris' sister, Kirsten Kime, is getting married this weekend — several of those recipients are on the guest list.

The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman says Kris was killed when Seattle's Mardi Gras party five years ago degenerated into a series of ugly brawls.

At one point, a young woman was hit, kicked and dragged into the fray. Kris tried to help her; for his efforts, he was savagely beaten.

"When I was in the hospital," Kris' mother, Kim Kime-Parks, told Kauffman in February 2002, "and I saw Kris, I thought, 'You know, there's nothing they can do for Kris, but something good has to come out of this.'"

She approved the donation of Kris' organs. His heart, kidneys, pancreas and lungs went to others.

Larry Levenson, who got Kris' heart, said simply, "Breathe, " when asked what he could do with Kris' heart in him that he couldn't do before.

Martha French, who received Kris' pancreas, said, "It's like, 'Wham!' You know? I have a pancreas that works. And I'm not diabetic anymore. … Just like that."

The recipients told Kauffman at the time Kris is alive in them — and Kim agreed. "Oh, you bet! It's incredible. I'm so proud of Kris."

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