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How Blazers great Jerome Kersey helped save lives two years after his death
The NBA community suffered a significant blow two years ago when former standout forward Jerome Kersey, one of the greatest and most beloved figures ever to suit up for the Portland Trail Blazers, died at age 52 from a pulmonary thromboembolism caused by a blood clot traveling from his left calf to his left lung. After Kersey’s passing away, his friends spoke in glowing terms about a person they described as one of the most selfless men they’d ever encountered.
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“As a teammate, he was the best teammate you could have,” a teary-eyed former Blazers guard and current University of Portland coach Terry Porter said, according to Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press. “He’d run through walls for you. He got every ounce out of his talent that was humanly possible.”
We learned Tuesday that Kersey’s commitment to giving to others, and giving of himself, continued after his death.
From KVAL-2 TV in Portland:
Donate Life Northwest said [Kersey’s] organs were donated after his passing, which saved the lives of eight children in a burn unit and enhanced the lives of hundreds of others.
Kersey’s daughter Kiara tells KATU News Tuesday night’s game is quite special for her.
“What it means to me personally is my dad’s legacy hasn’t died and that he’s still paying it forward,” said Kersey.
The fact that he was an organ donor was a surprise to Kiara, who said, when she found out, “It kind of brought him back to life for a little bit and it gave me that warm fuzzy feeling inside. Like he’s still out there doing stuff for the community even communities miles and miles away in Texas. And his love of helping people has stretched that far.”
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Kersey also donated his corneas, according to Max Barr of KGW-TV, which “enhanced the lives of four people who received a groundbreaking eye surgery.”
Donate Life Northwest and the Blazers celebrated Kersey’s life and donation during Portland’s Tuesday night loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, which featured a booth on a Moda Center concourse where fans could register to become organ donors. Here’s hoping Kersey’s sterling and selfless example inspired some Blazers backers in attendance — and some of the rest of us learning about it now — to follow in his footsteps.
Hat-tip to Rachel Nichols of ESPN’s “The Jump.”
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
