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Date: 1/22/2019
AGAWAM – Agawam resident Daniel Champigny described his wife, Lisa Champigny, as his best friend. “She was my best friend and the sweetest girl. She was stylish and loved to entertain. She would do anything for anyone.” he said. The couple were together for 16 years and married for 14 years.
Lisa enjoyed cheering on the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots, spending time at the ocean, and cuddling up with her dog, Barney. She was a registered nurse, working in the Emergency Room at Holyoke Hospital for 18 years. She later became a post-anesthesia care nurse at Baystate Medical Center’s Chestnut Surgical Center.
In Aug. 2018, Lisa began having wrist pain. What doctors believed to be carpal tunnel turned out to be a life-threatening blood clot. Champigny recalled what he said he considers the hardest day of his life. “She went into the bathroom that morning and called to me. She collapsed in my arms. She was brain dead.” he said.
Lisa was immediately admitted to the hospital. "They brought her into the room and said she would be waking up. I sat there as different nurses were flashing lights in her eyes and seeing if she had any reflexes. But there was nothing they could do.” Champigny said.
After collapsing during the weekend, Lisa passed away on Aug. 20 at the hospital.
Champigny said Lisa made an impression on those she knew and her patients. “She would get you ready or care for you. She was compassionate, understanding and always willing to help. Nursing was her life’s calling. She got joy out of trying to make someone’s life a little bit better and their situation.” he said.
Champigny continued, “What really touched me was all of the people that came to her room to see her, to say a prayer or say goodbye. From the head of the hospital to the woman who poured her coffee every morning.”
Champigny said he knew she was an organ donor, and it wasn’t surprising that she wanted to give to others after she was gone. “She dedicated her life to caring for people. She was a compassionate, caring and giving person,” he said.
Champigny explained that, prior to Lisa’s passing, he had not thought much about organ donation. “I’m an organ donor, but I never thought about it much. It’s opened my eyes to things,” he said.
Lisa’s heart and lungs were not strong enough for donation. Her kidneys, liver, eyes, cornea and skin were donated to help others.
Lisa was 55 years-old when she passed away just two days before her birthday. Her organs were donated on her birthday, and Champigny said that was just like her. “On her birthday, she gave her donation. That was the kind of person she was. Even on her day, she was giving to others. It’s a small comfort to know she is helping others,” Champigny said.
During a trip to the ocean in November, Champigny said he had an experience that made him believe Lisa is always by his side. “I said, ‘If you’re around, send me a sign.’ I looked to my left and there was a red paper heart on the ground. It was a sign from her. She is with me all the time. I feel her,” he said.
Champigny said losing his wife gave him a new appreciation for life.
“It really opened my eyes. Make the most of things. Live every day like it’s your last. This whole thing has made me realize that you’re put on earth for a purpose. You should really try to help others. It’s what we are here for. It’s not about ourselves, it’s about humanity as a whole,” he said.
Champigny said he supports the Donate Life organization and feels it is important to be educated on organ donation. “Organ donation is so important. If you can save or help another person or if someone can see because of my life or if someone doesn’t have to go to dialysis, I think that’s the most important thing in the world,” he said.
Champigny said he understands the stigma around organ donation. “Lisa didn’t receive less care because of being a donor. I think she got better care. [Staff] were in there checking on her constantly. They made sure there was nothing they could do before it went into organ donation’s hands,” he explained.
Although Champigny said it hurt to lose Lisa, he is happy to have been a part of her life. He shared, “She was the most honest and caring person. And she chose me. You know the Winnie the Pooh quote ‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?’ That’s how it feels.”
Champigny said he believes Lisa’s story can leave an impression on the lives of those who hear it. He shared, “If you love someone, tell them today. I saw first hand that things can change in an instant. One thing about organ donation is, as awful as it is that this happened to her, it’s joyous to know as bad as I am feeling that someone else is going to get a new chance at life.”
For information about Donate Life and organ donation, please visit www.donatelife.net.