A native of Oswego, Illinois, 15-year-old Noah McIntyre was a young man of many talents, particularly when it came to sports.
“Noah loved sports. He played youth soccer, baseball, and flag football,” says Noah’s mother, Jorie. “But his true love was basketball. In fact, he said the smell of a basketball wood court was his favorite smell in the world.”
Through basketball, Noah discovered he had another athletic talent: running.
“Noah initially joined cross country as a way to improve his speed and endurance for basketball,” Jorie says. “But he turned out to be a phenomenal runner.”
Noah excelled so much in running that he qualified for state when he was in eighth grade.
Noah’s talents went beyond sports. He also had a love for animals that extended beyond books and into the classroom.
“He absolutely loved animals,” says Jorie. “He would often be caught reading about animals in class. One time in second grade, they were learning about bats, and Noah already knew so much about them that his teacher let him teach the class.”
Noah had a soft spot in his heart for others, Jorie said.
“He was funny, loved to play pranks but was a gentle soul. Noah never let anyone feel left out. If he saw somebody without a partner or without somebody to sit with at lunch, he included them in the group. He had such a good heart.”
And Noah never expected anything in return. Knowing he helped somebody else have a better day was all the reward he needed.
“He always did things without bragging,” remembers his father, Gerry. “We had no idea about so many of the things he did for his classmates until other parents would let us know.”
That generosity extended to his community as well.
“He shoveled driveways, volunteered with his church, went on mission trips, and spent sunrise to sunset doing whatever was needed,” Jorie says. “He liked that he was making a difference in people’s lives.”
Noah had another mission trip planned in January 2020, when his father found him unresponsive one day. “We don’t know what happened,” Jorie says.
Noah was taken to Rush Copley Medical Center and immediately transferred to Loyola University Medical Center. At first, the signs seemed encouraging.
“The EMTs were able to shock him and bring him back,” Jorie says. “Later, he was able to make eye contact, squeeze our hands, and answer yes or no questions.”
But Noah’s brain swelling worsened, and oxygen deprivation became overwhelming. Doctors struggled to keep him stable. Noah fought bravely for a day and a half before taking his last breath on January 31, 2020.
The McIntyres were devastated. Because Noah was medically eligible to be an organ donor, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network was there to help them.
“Gift of Hope was the most caring and kind group we could have ever asked for,” says Jorie. “They cared for all of our family, answered all of our questions, and never pushed us into anything. We knew this was the right decision for us and for Noah.”
“They found matches for his liver and both of his kidneys that same night,” Gerry remembers.
His tissue donations ultimately helped save or heal 120 people. But he also had a tremendous impact on his own family.
“We weren’t registered to be donors prior to Noah’s passing. But now we all are,” says Jorie.
Jorie and Gerry encourage others to become donors as well.
“If we can have another family avoid having to go through what we went through by giving organs and providing that chance to live, then why not do it?” says Gerry.
Jorie echoes this sentiment: “For us, it was a healing factor. Losing our son was the worst experience of our lives. It shattered us. But we gave hope to someone who otherwise might not have had it, and to know that Noah was still helping people after he died was great. As awful as it was, we turned a tragedy into something good.”
Noah’s generous nature continues to live on. On his birthday, Jorie and Gerry organized a nighttime glow walk, raising more than $15,000 for Gift of Hope. They also started a Fly High Noah Facebook page to keep his memory alive and provide followers with family updates.
