By MALENA OGLES Staff Writer

Tyler Morning Telegraph

April 28, 2008

Each day that Frank Cobb wakes up, smiles at his wife or hugs his grandchildren he will think of an 18-year-old Tylerite with an affinity for swords, classic rock music and movies, who he has never met.

Cobb, a 65-year-old volunteer fireman was given a second chance at life because the parents of Benjamin Smith decided to donate their son's organs. Ben, described by family as funny, creative and a master in the art of tension breaking, had recently graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and was planning to attend Tyler Junior College then later film school in Orlando.

"He wanted to be a movie director," childhood friend Jan Haynes said. "He loved movies."

In July 2006 Ben was suffering from a severe respiratory infection. One evening, the medications he was taking had bad interaction and Ben stopped breathing. Three days later he died in a hospital room.

On July 23, 2006 Cobb's phone rang and he was told they found a liver to replace his, which was covered in a large tumor.

"At that point, I was so sick and thought I was going to die," Cobb said.

It wasn't until after Cobb was recovering at Baylor hospital that he realized someone had died and he had lived.

"That's when I thought there is another family out there hurting," he said.

And then he wondered. He wondered what his donor looked like, what his family was like what kind of person grew the liver that is now in his body.

About a year and a half after receiving the transplant, Cobb got the answers to those questions. Charisse Smith, the mother of 18-year-old Ben, wrote Cobb a letter.

"She told me about her son. What his shoe size was - little things," he said.

Cobb said he desperately wanted to talk to his donor's family, but was afraid it would make them sad.

"I didn't want to upset nobody," he said.

Sunday, Cobb met the Smith family along with other families of organ donors and recipients at the Southwest Transplant Alliance "Celebration of Giving and Living" held at the Tyler Memorial Rose Garden.

Mrs. Smith said that from the moment she said yes to organ donation, representatives from Southwest Transplant Alliance were by her side listening to thousands of stories about her son and supporting the family.

"I prayed for God to hold our child for us," his mother said.

She said she was thankful for the chance of organ donation because it has brought a small light for her family during the worst darkness they have ever known.

Ben was able to give his liver and heart to other families faced with losing a loved one.

She said knowing a part of her son lives on has been a source of comfort.

"We're thankful that this has brought good things to our lives and others lives. I want them (the organ recipients) to know that he is loved and missed every day," Mrs. Smith said.

Cobb said that there will never be a day he doesn't think about Ben.

Ben's sister, 24-year-old Miranda Smith said she laughed when Cobb told her he was a volunteer firefighter because Ben's dog, DeeDee was a Dalmatian.

Ms. Smith added that it was shocking to see someone living because of a decision her family made and that there can be a benefit from such a negative situation.

"There was no point for us to horde an 18-year-olds body for a populous that needs it," she said.

"We were robbed of years, but we are able to give someone else those years. It's polarized when you look at it," his sister said.

One transplant recipient, who spoke during the event, said that walking into the Tyler Memorial Rose Garden made him think of the phrase "stop and smell the roses." He said that because of a family's selflessness, he is now able to do just that.