A Brooklyn runner who was fatally stabbed during an evening jog has helped save four lives through organ donation, according to LiveOnNY.
Katie Suarez, 28, was a registered organ donor and donated five organs to patients on the national transplant waiting list after her death.
Her heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas were transplanted into four recipients aged between 12 and 75. Three live in New York, while the fourth is in Florida. Suarez also donated her corneas.
“This is an unimaginable loss for any parent and family,” said Leonard Achan, president and chief executive of LiveOnNY. He said Suarez’s decision to register as a donor was “a powerful testament to her generosity”.
“Katie’s legacy and others may live on,” he added.
Suarez was running eastbound along a waterfront path near Shore Parkway and Bay 17th Street in Brooklyn at about 8pm on Friday, October 30, when she was attacked. Investigators said she was stabbed on both sides of her neck.
She was taken to hospital in a critical condition and later placed on life support. Her mother confirmed that she was subsequently taken off support after doctors determined the extent of her injuries.
The NYPD has arrested Sayed Mohassib in connection with the killing. He has been charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon.
Mohassib pleaded not guilty in court and was remanded in custody without bail. The investigation into the attack remains ongoing.
