Kathy, Ryan, and Todd Deloplaine are a donor family and the “faces” of Eye Donation Month 2023.
Their Story
A little more than a year ago, the Deloplaine family lost their husband/father, Jack “Hydroplane” Deloplaine. Best known as a Superbowl champion member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jack was much more to those who knew him, especially his family. We now know him as a donor hero.
Jack’s wife, Kathleen (Kathy) is a retired nurse who had hands-on experience with cardiac transplants during her career at Allegheny General. After moving to South Carolina from Pittsburgh a few years ago, Kathy and Jack had a conversation about organ donation while at the DMV. Jack had already suffered a heart attack, and assumed he couldn’t be a donor. Kathy explained to him that nearly anyone can be a cornea donor. Because of this conversation, Jack checked the box to register as an eye, organ, and tissue donor, and when he passed, he gave the gift of sight to two individuals.
Jack and Kathy have two sons, Ryan and Todd. Ryan lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and kids and works as a firefighter. He remembers his Dad always giving back to others and being active in the community, and thinks being a cornea donor reflects the generosity Jack showed throughout his life. Todd works for Pepsi and coaches baseball in South Carolina. He takes the work ethic and values his Dad taught him with him each day as he puts in a hard day’s work and follows his passion, coaching kids just as Jack coached him, his brother, and the neighborhood kids they grew up with.
Here is Jack’s story, as told by his beloved family:
Register as a Donor
You don’t have to be a Superbowl champion like Jack to be a hero – register as an eye, organ, and tissue donor!
