'His strong 19-year-old organs still had a life to live'

When Joris fell into a coma at the age of 19 due to an accident, his mother, Nicole, spent weeks hoping for his recovery. But Joris never woke up. A year earlier, he had registered as an organ donor. That choice gave his family comfort during a period of intense grief.

Care and attention for Joris

Nicole met Joris when he was five years old. Together with his father and sister, they formed a new family. “Joris had autism and therefore needed extra guidance,” she says. “He had slow sensory processing and needed constant direction. I decided to stay home to be there for him.”

A day on the water goes wrong

Joris loved the water and became a member of the Sea Scouts. In the spring of 2016, he went with the group to pick up boats for the new season. While the water level was dropping in a lock near Nederasselt, something went wrong. Joris got his head trapped between the boat's cabin and the quay wall.

“When we heard he had been taken to the hospital, a nightmare began,” says Nicole. “It took six long hours before we were allowed to see him. He lay there still, with only a small tear in his ear. But he had a basilar skull fracture. The doctors didn't know what the extent of the damage was.”

Weeks of waiting and hoping

Nicole sat by her son's bedside day and night for three weeks. “I held his hand and waited for a sign of life. But it didn't come. It felt very unreal.”

A date was set by which improvement had to be visible. But it didn't happen. “Then the doctor told us that his condition was no longer compatible with life. That was a huge blow. No matter how difficult his future might have been, we would have wanted him back so badly.”

A conscious choice by Joris

Not long after, organ donation was discussed. Nicole knew immediately what Joris would want. “A year earlier, he had seen an episode of *Het Klokhuis* about donation and registered as a donor. He understood very well what that meant.”

The family fully supported his decision. “We have been donors ourselves for years. We received a good explanation of what would happen. When the ventilator was turned off and he was taken away, it was difficult. But we were prepared for it.”

New chances for four people

Joris saved four people with his organs: his lungs, kidneys, and liver were donated. “That gave me comfort,” says Nicole. “He would have wanted that. His strong 19-year-old organs still had a life to live.”

She can easily empathize with the people who received an organ. “I know what it feels like to have hope. And how grand it is when that hope is realized. That he was able to mean that for someone makes me proud.”

Lasting memory of Joris

The impact of the accident on the scout group was significant. “We have always kept in touch. They felt guilty, even though there was nothing they could do.”

To commemorate Joris, a special bench has been placed at the clubhouse: with a hole in it through which a tree grows. “A beech tree. Truly beautiful. I often sit there with a thermos of coffee.”

To the lock on his birthday

Every year on his birthday, they visit the site of the accident. “In October, he would have turned 24. We hang blue Delphiniums at the lock – we had those at his funeral too. Blue is the color of water, and Joris felt at home on the water. On that day, we are very close to him.”