SWFL mother remembered for saving lives through organ donation

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Hannah Bogue Grey listens closely; she’s hearing her mom’s heart beating strong.

On the other end of the stethoscope, however, is Andrew Spehr. He is the organ donor recipient who has Hannah’s mom to thank for his life today.

In April of 2007, at 22 years old, Danielle Bogue, a young mother, tragically lost her life in a car crash on Alligator Alley.

“It was one of the worst things a parent could hear,” recalled Danielle’s mother, Dana Grey.

Hannah was just four months old.

“She’d say, ‘I don’t remember my mom’ and I’d say, ‘that’s okay,'” Grey told WINK News, “And when we met Andrew it made a huge change in her.”

Hannah said listening to her mom’s heart gives her overwhelming emotions.

“It gave me a better connection with my mom,” she said.

On the other end, Andrew Spehr’s heart was failing, and he needed a transplant.

“When the phone rang, it was the call,” he said, “I thought they were just checking up on me but then the coordinator says ‘no, this is your heart.'”

Bogue not only saved Spehr, but also four other people.

Eight years later, her story of generosity is being recognized. A piece of art called the “Tree of Life” is now in the South Fort Myers Tax Collector’s office. It encourages people to sign up to be organ donors when they get their drivers licenses.

“We have that life-saving ability to help someone that’s struggling,” said Lee County Tax Collector Larry Hart.

People who choose to be a donor get to write their name on a piece of paper and paste it on the tree.

“When I saw photos of Andrew days before the transplant and I see him now,” Grey said, “it just makes it all worth while. That’s what it’s all about. Saving lives.”