454
It's rare day that a little boy named Nicholas Green
doesn't cause me to stop and reflect
about his shortened life,
each time I take in the beauty of Bodega Bay.
Here is where the little boy grew up, packing a
lot of love into his scant seven years,
before a terrible tragedy
occurred in Italy - a country who reveres little children.
It was during a family holiday in southern Italy in 1994
when little Nicholas was shot
by robbers or hitmen on the highway,
creating a heartbreak so profound,
it changed the lives of his family
into unimaginable bleakness.
It is said that even the people of Italy
pivoted into a collective, deep soul searching.
Then, like a miracle, out of all of the oceans of grief
came the decision to donate little
Nicholas Green's organs to Italians in need-
Calling it the 'Nicholas Effect'
organ donation rates increased spectacularly
in a country, that, prior to the tragedy
had been the lowest in Europe.
Seven recipients benefited from Nicholas' organs:
A heart
Two kidneys
His pancreas
His liver
and both corneas
Dozens of parks, streets, squares and schools pay tribute
to little Nicholas Green in Italy,
And if you visit the Bell Memorial in Bodega Bay
set amongst the cypress trees near the dunes by the coast
You will witness the majestic tower of bells,
Sent to California largely by Italians,
cow bells, school bells and church bells topped
by its centerpiece - a bell which heralds from Italy's
Marinelli foundry and blessed by Pope John Paul II.
The bells' chimes will remind you
just how precious and fragile are our lives.