A Family Legacy 

Claudia and her son Paul

When Paul Grammatico was killed by a drunk driver in 1999, his parents, Paul Sr. and Claudia decided to donate his organs and tissue. His organs saved the lives of 5 people. His tissue changed many lives.

Family members say Paul was incredibly kind and giving. Organ, eye, and tissue donation fit perfectly with his beliefs about helping others. Claudia said, “Paul would have wanted it that way. I don’t feel he’s dead now.”

Claudia knew there were tens of thousands of people in the US waiting for an organ transplant. She hoped Paul’s story would inspire others to register as donors and shrink that number.

Meeting the people who received Paul's organs, or his "recipients," was an important part of Claudia's grief journey. She wrote a letter to Joe, who received Paul's heart, asking if they could meet in person. Part of the letter read, "There is no sense to what happened, but you make meaning in the senseless. There is no justice in us being robbed of precious Paul, but you have been given life through it. God gave Paul to us. We gave Paul to you."

Claudia felt a strong connection when she met Joe. "When I touched his chest, I knew that heart was the same that grew under mine for 9 months." After receiving his transplant, Joe lived 23 more years thanks to Paul's heart. Receiving that second chance at life inspired Joe to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor himself. When he passed away in 2022, he was able to save several lives as a tissue donor.

Carrying On Paul's Legacy

Claudia with NFL Great Boomer Esiason

For Claudia, the generosity didn’t stop with Paul’s donation. She quit her job to advocate for donation and share her son’s story full time. Claudia said she shifted her focus from what was lost to what was gained. She became a volunteer with the New York Organ Donor Network, which coordinated her son’s donation.

Claudia gave speeches to students, families, and healthcare experts. In 2001, she spoke at the Empire State Building in New York City. The event was for an organ donation campaign called "The Gift of Life." This campaign was displayed on buses to encourage people to register as donors. NFL great, Boomer Esiason was at this event. After hearing Claudia’s speech, he invited her and the New York Organ Donor Network to a major fundraising event. He asked Claudia to give that same moving speech and invited her to accept a check for $10,000 to the New York Organ Donor Network.

Claudia was truly a fierce advocate for the cause, down to the “DONOR MOM” license plate on her car. Donation meant everything to Claudia. It changed her outlook on life. She turned a tragedy into a passion by seeing the lifesaving impact of organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Claudia's Final Act of Love

Like her son, Claudia tragically died in a car crash in 2022. But her passion for organ donation lived on. Claudia became an organ donor herself, saving one life. There’s no doubt she saved many others through her passionate advocacy for donation. Claudia's family is now carrying on her legacy. They share her story and Paul's any chance they get. They, too, are now fierce advocates for donation and will carry out Claudia's passion for saving lives.

At LifeShare, we are honored to call Claudia one of our donors. We are incredibly grateful she encourages to many others to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors.