Joseph Kroot was full of life and an active member of the B�Nai Mitzvah Class at Ohavay Zion Synagogue as well as a seventh grader at Morton Junior High, in 1996. On Shabbat Bemidbar, Joseph had a cerebral hemorrhage that left him brain dead. Joseph Kroot went on to "save lives" when his family chose to donate his viable organs. Joseph's kidneys helped two women live free of dialysis, his corneas helped two teenagers see, his liver hepatocytes prolonged life until a viable liver could be found, and his heart valves helped two young children live without blood thinners because now they will not need mechanical valves in their hearts. Joseph may not have found the cure for cancer, but he followed the positive mitzvah of Pikuach Nefesh, the "Saving of a Life."

-- Kathie Kroot, Joseph's mother