Organ donation comforts volunteer firefighter's family

Bruno Baurin said a recent letter from the Nova Scotia Health Authority came as a surprise and left a lasting emotional impression on him and his wife.

The letter to the Eastern Shore family told about how the organs of their 20-year-old son, Ben, have helped others.

Ben's corneas allowed two people to see again. Tissue grafts from his eyes will assist up to eight people.

Bones will be used to produce tissues to repair fractures and his skin will be used on people who suffered critical burns.

"You know, his spirit and everything continues and he's doing the same great things now that he's passed," Bruno Baurin said.

Ben died last month in a car crash in Dartmouth.

The Head of Chezzetcook man had been an active volunteer firefighter at Station 23 Chezzetcook.

Bruno Baurin said his son had registered as an organ donor.

"He [thought] that was a great idea, that if at some point in his life if he could help someone else he would and we agreed and supported him," Baurin said.

Even though Ben was not on duty at the time of the crash, Baurin said the firefighting community has been a huge support. There are now stickers on the back of fire trucks at Station 23 in memory of Ben.

He worked at Halifax Stanfield International Airport as a security screener and his coworkers there held a moment of silence for him.

"They actually asked passengers to not go through security for a minute or so. And we've never heard of that before," Baurin said.

The pet store where he used to work named a bird after him — Benny.

Baurin said his son loved animals and had a dog named Archer.

At the funeral, instead of flowers, the family asked for donations to the Nova Scotia SPCA.

"[Ben] came in the room and he would just brighten everything up, even ... to the day he had unfortunately passed away. He was just a happy-go-lucky kid and just enjoyed life to the fullest," Baurin said.