"Heroic gift": NYPD officer who was shot and killed saved five people's lives with organ donations
NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora will live on after his tragic death, thanks to a heroic gift. Mora, 27, lost his life this week after being shot while responding to a call in Harlem on Friday. His family wished for him to be an organ donor – and now, his organs have saved five people's lives.
"When Officer Wilbert Mora's family was notified of his passing, his family knew their brave and dedicated son would want to continue to save lives, even in death," said Leonard Achan, president and CEO of LiveOnNY – a nonprofit for organ donations in New York.
Their wish has been fulfilled and "with their heroic gift of organ donation, five people who were waiting for a heart, liver, two kidneys, and pancreas were saved," Achan said.
Mora's organs will go to three people in New York and two outside the state who needed urgent life-saving organ transplants. "We are humbled and honored to be the steward of these gifts on behalf of Officer Mora and his family so others may live on," Achan said.
Mora and two other New York Police Department officers responded to a call from a mother in a dispute with her son on Friday and were shot at while trying to approach a back bedroom. Fellow officer Jason Rivera, 22, was shot and killed on the scene.
Mora was gravely wounded and underwent surgery at Harlem Hospital. He was later transferred to NYU Langone but remained in critical condition until his death on Tuesday, CBS New York reports.
Commissioner Keechant Sewell called Mora "three times a hero."
"It's with great sadness I announce the passing of Police Officer Wilbert Mora," Sewell said Tuesday. "Wilbert is three times a hero. For choosing a life of service. For sacrificing his life to protect others. For giving life even in death through organ donation. Our heads are bowed and our hearts are heavy."
A vigil to remember Mora and Rivera was held outside of the NYPD's 32nd precinct on Wednesday night, CBS New York reports.
