Officer Kenyon Youngstrom was passionate about life. A U.S Army veteran, Kenyon had served his community as a California Highway Patrol officer for seven years. He loved doing his job, remembered his wife, Karen. On September 4, 2012, at age 37, Kenyon was shot during a traffic stop. Both he and Karen had registered to be donors, and he was able to save the lives of four people through organ donation and help many others through tissue donation. Karen confirmed that "Kenyon would be proud - proud that he served the community, and proud that he was able to donate his organs and save someone's life."

Kenyon's Story

Officer Kenyon Youngstrom was passionate about life. He ran every day and stayed healthy. Making people smile was his hobby. He loved his work, football (especially the St. Louis Rams), ice cream, and most of all his family.

A U.S Army veteran, Kenyon had served his community as a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer for seven years. "He grew up wanting to be an officer all of his life," said his wife, Karen Youngstrom. "He loved doing his job. He went to work every day with a smile on his face."

On September 4, 2012, Kenyon was shot during a traffic stop. He was 37. "When I got to the hospital, I remember seeing a line of officers and then I knew it was bad," recalled Karen.

Kenyon and Karen had both registered to become organ and tissue donors. Thanks to his decision, Kenyon saved and improved lives of four people through organ donation and enhanced the lives of many others through his tissue donation. Two of his recipients were a 29- year-old mother and a 50- year old father of four.

The Youngstrom's four children are extremely proud of their father. By saying "Yes" to donation, he provided the gift of life and etched an incredible legacy that his family and many others will never forget.

"Knowing that he donated makes his loss a bit more bearable. It's comforting to know that a piece of him is still somewhere in a very real and concrete way," Karen said. "Kenyon would be proud - proud that he served the community, and proud that he was able to donate his organs and save someone's life."