In the wake of the tragic passing of a former Minnesota Vikings star, his death ultimately resulted in saving the lives of four individuals. Back in February, ex-Vikings defensive back Ronyell Whitaker passed away at the age of 46. However, after his death, the Virginia native remained on life support as he had chosen to donate his organs to help others.
Professionals at the M Health Fairview Donor Care Unit utilized his body to save the lives of four people, according to Whitaker's partner Laurie Charboneau. 'Ronyell loved coaching high school kids,' Charboneau told the hospital. 'He would introduce himself to the parents and say, 'I'm not just their coach for football. I'm their mentor, so if the kids ever have something going on, I'm here.''
She added, 'He always wanted to help in any way, and I'm sure he felt the same way when he checked the box to be an organ donor.' Whitaker, who played in Minnesota for two seasons, passed away in February at the age of 46. Charboneau told local station KARE that Whitaker 'would be very excited to know that this, his life continued on.'
While the specifics of Whitaker's organ donations were not released, Charboneau told KARE that his lungs were among the body parts used to aid the four recipients. 'I do think about them. I think about their families and I think about how their health is now, hoping that they're feeling better,' Charboneau told the outlet. 'He would have been so proud and happy to have helped them. He donated his heart to science as well. So that's pretty amazing.'
Whitaker joined the Vikings in 2006 and appeared in 27 games over two seasons, recording 31 tackles, one pass defended, and a fumble recovery. The defensive back played college football at Virginia Tech and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 as an undrafted free agent. After leaving the Vikings and spending part of the 2008 offseason with the Lions, Whitaker concluded his career in the CFL.
