Lakeville Teen's Liver a Grateful Gift to Brooklyn Center Girl

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. - Only 28 percent of Americans are registered as organ donors. 17-year-old Kayla Borgerson was part of that 28 percent.

Borgerson made the decision to become an organ donor on her 16th birthday -- a choice that would be fulfilled much too early.

Last November, Kayla was driving with her sister Katie just a few yards from her home when their car was hit by a truck heading east on 205th Street in Lakeville. Kayla did not survive the crash.

During a time of unexpected, overwhelming grief, her family honored her wish and donated her organs.

"It's good to know she lives on and can help other people," Kayla's mother, Sue, said.

One of the people Kayla helped is 12-year-old Halley Anderson of Brooklyn Center. During routine surgery, doctors found Halley's had advanced liver disease and it was affected a number of her other organs.

"Her liver wasn't breaking down the bile properly," Dr. Deborah Goldman said. "It wasn't clotting, blood flow was redirected and her spleen was enlarged."

Anderson needed a new liver to survive and was told the wait for a donor could take up to year.

'That was my biggest fear -- that other things would start to deteriorate, and she'd deteriorate to nothing," Halley's father, Gary Anderson, said.

As it turns out, Halley hardly had to wait, thanks to Kayla.

"You can never repay someone for being an organ donor," Anderson said.

"It doesn't make me any less sad," Sue Borgerson said. "I still miss her so much, but it's one of the positives we look at."

Earlier this month, the two families met for the first time. Halley's mom says she just had to say thank you in person.

"I'm so proud Halley has her liver because she is such was a sweet young lady from what we know, and I'm just honored," Kris Anderson said.

Halley said she plans to become an organ donor as well, and will spend the rest of her life grateful for the gift she received and humbled by the way she got it.

"Life is short," Halley said. "You have to live every day like it's your last. That's what I do now."

One person who donates their organs can help up to 60 different people.