Veteran continues saving lives one year after dying in motorcycle accident

Memorial Day is when many people gather and honor those who have died while serving our country. For this holiday weekend, one local family is reflecting on a beloved veteran who continues to serve even after his death.

Patrick Brozowski's Marine Corps career spanned over two decades, including three tours in Desert Storm, Iraq, and as a commanding officer in Afghanistan.

"It's learning how to live your life without the person who you're supposed to live the rest of your life with," said Liz Brozowski, Patrick's wife, reflecting on how she battles with grief by remembering the good times.

"His personality was as large as his stature. He had a heart of gold [and] he loved his family. He loved being in the military. It kind of defined him. He was in for 24 years, and I think when he was in the military, helping people was just what he loved to do," she said.

He was also a father, a teacher and a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, chapter 15-6.

"That became who he identified with, like, kind of like being in the military. Because it was his brothers and his sisters who had been the same kind of life. They were you know, most of them are retired, some are not, but they shared a brotherhood that was something that he's sorely sorely missed," Brozowski said.

For Brozowski, March 26, 2023, was the day everything changed for her family. Patrick and Liz were both involved in a motorcycle accident.

"I smelled burning rubber. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘I think we need to pull over.’ That’s the last thing I remember," she said.

Once Patrick realized they were going to crash, he grabbed his wife in a bear hug and took the brunt of the impact, saving her life.

"In saving my life, he hit his head on the right side and the left side, fracturing all of the right side. And then the TBI (traumatic brain injury) was on his left side," she said.

Patrick was subsequently declared brain dead. He was honored with a flag raising, a memorial service and an Honor Walk where more than 100 members of the Combat Veteran Association celebrated his life, legacy and impact.

"Patrick was big into helping us help families for those that were lost," said Al Seglund, the chapter commander for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 15. "So we always took it as a golden rule. If it was us, how would we want to help families be remembered and celebrated.”

Seglund stood by Brozowski's side as she recovered from her injuries from the crash while mourning her loss.

Yet, her husband's selfless spirit lived on. After he passed, she remembered he was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor.

"It's not surprising at all. [Patrick] was just a big character, you know? Big heart, always giving. So the fact he was an organ donor and continued to give even after death was not shocking," Seglund said.

Honorbridge, a local organ donation and tissue recovery organization, helped.

"One single donor can save and heal up to 75 lives. There are 100,000 people waiting for a lifesaving donation in America, and over 3,000 of those are North Carolinians," said Dena Daw, a spokesperson for Honorbridge.

Brozowski wasn’t sure what was donated, but letters began pouring in. "I received a letter from Honorbridge saying that one of his kidneys went to Walter Reed, which is amazing. S,o it went to a service member. I don't know if the service member was active or not. But I do know that a service member did receive one of his kidneys," she said.

"I later got a letter from the recipient of the liver. His name is Johnny, and he sent me a letter, thanking me as if I was the one who [donated]. It wasn't me. He was at the point where if he didn't get a donation, he probably would have died,” she said. “He thanked us for saving his life."

The story didn’t end there.

Liz’s injuries required reconstructive surgery using a cadaver. She worked with HonorBridge for a directed donation using her husband’s graft.

"When it came time for Liz's elbow surgery, Honorbridge was able to work with her surgeon, and Lifenet helped to make a direct donation possible, and direct donations are super rare. So we recognize this as a special case," Daw said.

A subtle reminder that a piece of him will still be with her. "I can't talk about him … because I get worked up. And I suppose it's going to happen for a long time. But I have him in my arms for the rest of my life. So he will always be with me," she said.

She said this tragedy has inspired her to encourage others to donate and save more lives.

To become an organ donor, you can register at Honorbridge.org. You can also do so at the DMV or using the health app on your iPhone.