CRANBERRY TWP — By all accounts, Aleksander Teimouri always thought of others and how he could make their lives better.

Nearly two months after his death in a bicycle accident, he's having more of an impact than ever.

According to a letter sent to Teimouri's mother, Christina, from the Center for Organ Recovery and Education, the 22-year-old Cranberry man has helped five people through the donation of his organs, and countless more through research and future transplants.

Through those donations, his “wish to help others through donation will always be held in the highest regard,” the letter states.

The letter outlines the individuals who have received donations, and how they've responded to them.

Teimouri's heart was given to a 59-year-old man, who is responding well. Before becoming sick, the man was self-employed in the remodeling and construction business. The letter indicates that with his new lease on life, he intends to get back to helping people as well as returning to the gym, which was his preferred form of relaxation.

Teimouri's liver and left kidney were given to a 60-year-old man, who recently retired from a career as a supervisor. He and his wife have been married for 38 years and have six children. According to the letter, he hopes to spend more time in his garage and completing home projects. A 53-year-old woman was the recipient of Teimouri's right kidney.

Two women — ages 75 and 27 — received Teimouri's corneas.

“Even though the recipients will never know your son personally, they will think of him each time they see the new day clearly and continue a life of independence,” the letter states.

Other organs, including Teimouri's pancreas, dorsal root ganglia and various tissues, will be used for research. Other tissues, bones and tendons could eventually help others through donation, as the letter states those organs can be transplanted for five years after the donation.

To celebrate his gifts, Teimouri's life will be honored through A Special Place, a park area outside CORE's Pittsburgh office. A leaf will be engraved on the park's wall in his memory during a ceremony this spring.

Christina Teimouri said she and her family will attend that ceremony. She said she was touched by the letter.

“I certainly cried, but also rejoiced at his sacrifice and the many lives he touched,” she said. “I miss him terribly, but know he is waiting on the other side.”

Christina Teimouri recounted the days following the Dec. 26 accident in which Aleksander Teimouri was struck by an alleged drunken driver while riding his bike after work on Rochester Road on his way to the family's home.

She said he was technically pronounced dead on Dec. 27, which put the wheels into motion to find organ recipients. He was kept alive on life support until 3 a.m. Dec. 29, after which the transplants were performed.

The wait for that process to take place was “torture,” Christina Teimouri said, but also provided a silver lining.

“I look at this precious time as a remarkable gift from God for everyone who loved him the most to come and hold his hand and say goodbye, and prepare ourselves at least a little bit for life without him,” she said. “Having the support of so many helped my heart greatly as I saw the impact his short, beautiful life had on so many, and I knew the miraculous impact his death would give to his recipients and their families.”

Teimouri said she could not describe how supportive and kind the CORE representatives and ICU nurses were in the process. She added that she did not know her son was an organ donor before the accident.

Katelynn Metz, communications coordinator for CORE, said there is always a need for donors. She said Feb. 14 is National Donor Day, on which the organization holds events in an effort to promote becoming a donor.

She said the most common way people become donors is through the Department of Motor Vehicles when they renew their driver's license. However, she said those not wanting to wait can click the register button at core.org and become a donor almost immediately.

“It's just an awesome way to ensure that after you pass away, the last thing you do here on Earth is to help other people,” Metz said.

Metz said there are a number of misconceptions about becoming a donor, including that those who are donors receive less critical care or that a person is too old or sick to donate. She said people of all ages and various levels of health can donate and, ultimately, there is no risk to becoming a donor.

“It's good for everybody,” she said.

Christina Teimouri concurred, adding that she's learning almost every day about other donors who have helped others through donations. Those donations are “like gold” to a recipient, she said.