In 2002, after years of kidney problems, Gunther Bruhn was diagnosed with kidney failure and was told his treatment would involve hours of dialysis. This meant he would need to spend a lot of time away from his family. But Gunther’s wife of 46 years, Christa, made the courageous decision to donate one of her kidneys to help her husband.

Christa had a fierce love of family. As one of 10 children raised by a war widow, Christa always put family before all else. When the time came, she didn’t hesitate to sacrifice for her husband. “We always considered Christa our hero,” says Gunther’s brother Ernie Bruhn. Her gift gave Gunther 10 more years to spend with his family — camping, fishing and taking trips to his home country of Germany — until he passed away in 2013.

Sadly, Christa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. After moving to a hospice in Abbotsford, she passed away in her sleep last year.

Before she passed, Christa wanted to show her appreciation for those wonderful years the kidney transplant gave Gunther. Christa left a $25,000 gift in her will to the Transplant Research Foundation of BC Fund.

“Gunther and Christa are gone from us, but their memory will live forever,” says Ernie. And Christa’s estate gift will definitely live on in the work of BC-based transplant researchers. The Transplant Research Foundation of BC Fund supports groundbreaking research in transplant treatment and care right here in BC, to help save and improve the lives of people threatened by organ failure — a mission the Bruhns are proud to support.

Learn more about how you can make a difference by leaving a legacy.[:zh]

2002年，经过多年的肾病问题，冈瑟·布鲁恩（Gunther Bruhn）发现他患有肾衰竭，需要长期洗肾 – 这意味着他要长时间离开家人。但他的妻子克里斯塔（Christa）不会让这情况发生。与冈瑟结婚46年的妻子将她的一个肾脏，捐了给她的丈夫。

克里斯塔（Christa）对家庭有著一份热炽的爱。她是战争寡妇抚养的十个孩子其中一个，永远把家庭放在第一位。到了这个时刻，她毫不犹豫地为了丈夫而牺牲。冈瑟（Gunther）的兄弟厄尼·布鲁恩（Ernie Bruhn）说：“我们一直视克里斯塔（Christa）为我们的英雄。她的付出给了冈瑟（Gunther）十多年的时间与家人一起享受露营、钓鱼和多次回到他的祖国德国旅行 – 直到他在2013年去世。

不幸的是，克里斯塔（Christa）在2012年被诊断出患有卵巢癌。在转介到阿博斯福的善终设施后，去年在睡梦中舆世长辞。

克里斯塔（Christa）为了感谢肾脏移植给予冈瑟（Gunther）十年的美好时光，她预早準备了一份二万五千元的遗产捐赠给予於2015年与温哥华综合医院塈卑诗大学医院基金会(VGH＆UBC Hospital Foundation) 合并的卑诗移植研究基金会（TRF）。

“虽然冈瑟（Gunther）和克里斯塔（Christa）已经离我们而去，但他们的回忆将永远活着在我们心中，” 厄尼（Ernie）说。而克里斯塔（Christa）的遗产捐赠肯定会在卑诗省的移植研究工作上继续承传下去。移植研究基金的资金会支持卑诗省移植治疗和护理方面的前瞻研究，帮助挽救和改善受器官衰竭威胁的病人的生命，这正是布鲁恩（Bruhn）荣幸地支持著的一份使命。

请加入像克里斯塔（Christa）和冈瑟（Gunther）这样的捐赠者行列，在遗嘱中承传一份礼物，捐赠予温哥华综合医院塈卑诗大学医院基金会(VGH＆UBC Hospital Foundation)，帮助病患者为今天和未来的人生，改写更美好的一页。 想了解更多信息请浏览vghfoundation.ca/legacy。