On Wednesday, Aug. 7, the hallways of Froedtert Pleasant Prairie were crowded with people who watched as a young man in a hospital gurney, with his father at his side holding his hand, was led to the operation room. The group of friends and family said their goodbyes; the young man, 19-year-old Jackson Henderson, had been brain dead since a drowning accident Friday, Aug.
2, and he was an organ donor. Jackson Henderson, 19, helped save four other people with his organ donation after a drowning accident left him brain dead earlier this month. Friends, family and loved ones remembered the young man.
By the next day, four people’s lives would be saved by his donation. The final act of charity was only fitting for Jackson, who friends and family described as a uniquely funny, intelligent, driven and loving person. Jackson was born Sept.
10, 2004, to Lonnie Henderson and Melissa Domerchie. He was a graduate of Tremper High School and was attending UW-Milwaukee for nursing. He would have turned 20 next month.
Lonnie and Melissa, along with childhood friends Enzo A. Aiello, Thomas Bejna, Frank Chianello, and girlfriend Alejandra Anderson, spoke to the Kenosha News after Jackson’s death. Melissa and Lonnie talked about watching their son grow up.
He was something of a character, they said. “He was going to be himself, and he didn’t care what anybody thought about that,” Melissa said. When he was interested in something, his drive could be shocking.
Lonnie talked about the ti.