Cambridge woman experiences healing through late twin sister’s organ donation
Faith Nelson of Cambridge, Minn. and her friend died in a snowmobiling accident on New Year’s Day 2023.
“I like to describe Faith as everything good in this world. She truly was the kindest and most generous soul that you could meet,” said their mother, Karen Nelson.
A year and a half later, Chloe was hunting with her boyfriend when they both fell from a hunting stand. Chloe fell nearly twenty feet to the ground.
“Chloe injured her ankle and sustained a pretty severe fracture; once we got the pieces back where they belong, it left some voids in the bone that were going to need something, and I most commonly use donor bone to fill that,” explained orthopedic surgeon Joseph Bellamy, MD, of Allina Health Orthopedics.
“The moment he said, ‘donor bone,’ I couldn’t tell you what he said after that because my mind went to Faith,” Chloe recalled the sudden realization.
Faith’s family had made the life-giving decision to donate Faith’s organs, which included donor bone chips.
After making many calls, Karen was able to track down the last bag of Faith’s bone chips. She coordinated with Dr. Bellamy and the Allina Health Orthopedics team, and they scheduled the surgery to ensure Chloe received Faith’s donor bone.
“I got to see them and hold them and now they’re somewhere in my leg.”
At a follow-up appointment at Allina Health Brooklyn Park Clinic, Chloe and Karen watched as Dr. Bellamy pointed to imaging and explained how Faith’s bones are now part of Chloe’s.
“To know that Faith was able to help her twin sister out in this way. It was just incredible,” said Karen.
Chloe said this physical connection has added to the healing process for her.
And with a sisterly twinkle in her eye, Chloe added, “I think Faith would think that the only way my leg is healing is because of her.”
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