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The problem was supposed to be a pea-sized growth but turned out to be a
softball-sized cancer encasing the brain of Rocky Isely's first wife.
The surgery was supposed to last less than eight hours but stretched into 13
and ended with her death.

It was a tragedy that transformed into a moment worth honoring.
Isely and his new wife, Lori, now remember their families' sacrifices with
green wristbands from the Southwest Transplant Alliance, a statewide organ
donation organization.

For the Isley's, the bands have come to memorialize Rocky's loss as well as
Lori's cousin, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1996.
"I think they show something," said Nicholas Isely, 13. "You can save
someone's life."

The bands are one of a pair of promotional initiatives begun by the alliance
to shore up awareness and participation.

For the Isleys, it's meant honoring family by educating the public on organ
donation facts - like registering to be an organ donor in one state doesn't
mean the registration is valid in another.

It's also helped with explanations to friends, said Holly Isely, 15.
"My friend Summer asked about it, she wanted to know what did it say and
what did it mean," she said. "I like telling people about it because I can
tell them the story of how it affected me."

The popularity of symbols for causes surged with cyclist Lance Armstrong's
cancer awareness band and the yellow ribbon magnets supporting troops
overseas.

"I wish we could take credit for the armband idea, or for the green ribbon
car magnet idea. Both are really examples of us copying other smart
marketers," Alliance spokeswoman Pam Silvestri said. "We felt that folks
involved in organ donation needed to be able to do the same."

More than 500,000 armbands have been distributed nationwide. About 25,000
are in Texas. Wichita Falls has more than 100 so far.

Alliance officials have also distributed about 10,000 green ribbon car
magnets in North Texas with slogans such as "Be an Organ Donor," "Organ
Transplant Recipient" or "Organ Donor Family."

"The response to both the armbands and the magnets has been better than
expected, which is to say that we've run out of both and have orders in to
get more ASAP," Silvestri said.

The wristbands were just what Rocky needed to honor his first wife.
Long before her surgery, the couple had discussed becoming organ donors.
That helped navigate the process easier, Rocky said.

After her organs had been given out, he received 14 letters from recipients.
One of his wife's heart valves had been used in someone's ear to enable the
patient to hear. A 13-year-old boy burned over 30 percent of his body was
alive because of her skin. A New Jersey electrician had a new kidney.

"It made me feel wonderful," Rocky said. "It made me miss her, but at the
same time I knew this was a way that she was still living on."
He read the letters to his children.

"They were good," said Stephanie Isely, 13. "People sent us letters telling
us how she'd saved their lives."

About two weeks ago, Rocky Isely went into work at United Regional Health
Care System. He saw a co-worker wearing a wristband and asked about them.
That eventually led him to the alliance, which sent him some wristbands
about a week ago.

"It's not only that she saved lives but gave them a better quality of life,"
Rocky Isely said of the loss.