LaMore, a veteran and organ donor, passed away on Veterans Day, leaving behind his daughter and his wife of 16 years.
A father from Illinois suffered a head injury when he fell out of the car while assisting his 12-year-old daughter with gathering contributions of canned food for her Girl Scout group. He passed away five days later. Aaron LaMore, a 45-year-old veteran and tollway supervisor, was riding in the open hatchback of the car on Nov. 6 when "he lost his footing, fell backwards out of the car onto the pavement, and struck his head on the back," according to Ryan Talaga, his brother-in-law, who works for the news organization Patch. "They didn't even get to the first house," Talaga stated that the vehicle was traveling at a speed of about 5 mph at the time, reported NBC News.
LaMore cracked his skull, according to the family's GoFundMe page, but was still able to stand and walk to the ambulance. For a CT scan, he was sent to Silver Cross Hospital, where his health rapidly deteriorated. "His injuries were grave at that time," Talaga told Patch, adding that there was "irreversible damage." LaMore's cardiac arrest lasted for four minutes as doctors were waiting for transportation to take him to the University of Chicago Hospital, according to the GoFundMe. LaMore, a veteran, was airlifted to the hospital but passed away on Veterans Day, November 11.
LaMore's wife Erin was forced to decide whether to find some consolation in their loss after being shocked by the sudden change of events, Talaga added. His family swiftly took the decision to remove him from life support and registered him as an organ donor with Gift of Hope. He said that this is the worst thing that could happen to his sister and his niece, but knowing that he’s able to save lives, "gives them some peace". Before LaMore would later give his kidneys, liver, and tissue, the University of Chicago organized an Honor Walk. His heart was transported to New York, where it completed an extremely uncommon transplant for a man in his 40s or 50s. Talaga said, the ultimate act of selflessness was completely consistent with LaMore's life. "He would always give as much as he could."
Talaga had started calling Aaron "Double A" in a loving manner since his sister had married someone with a name that was so phonetically similar to her own. He recalls LaMore to be the life of the party and just very energetic. Adding that, if you were someone who is isn't a hugger, it wouldn't make any difference to him because LaMore will just pull you into this big bear hug. At first, Erin said to her family, she believed her husband was "being silly" and had staged the fall because of hus light-hearted, joking nature. The tragedy is unfathomable, and Talaga has started a GoFundMe on Erin and Mia's behalf to support the family. The money received will be used to cover expenditures, medical bills, and Mia's future educational costs. As reported by PEOPLE, LaMore's obituary advises loved ones to support Gift of Hope or the Wounded Warrior Project in lieu of flowers.
References:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/illinois-father-dies-falling-car-collecting-food-donations-daughters-g-rcna58017
https://www.gofundme.com/f/erin-mia-lamore
http://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Cover Image Source: Facebook / Aaron LaMore
