Long before his vehicle overturned on Speegleville Road and his life ended 10 years ago, Chris Pledger figured out one way a person can continue to live on, or at least serve humankind beyond the grave.

Fortunately, he shared it with someone: his intent to share his organs.

Without having said it in advance of an untimely end, who knows? His story might not have had six happy endings.

What we know now: His heart, his liver, his pancreas, his lungs, his kidneys, all went into bodies desperately needing them. Six lives saved.

Actually, even more benefitted, because Chris’ skin went to transplant purposes, too.

From such a staggering loss — a young man cut down at 18 — that’s an amazing swath of newfound hope.

But it might not have happened except for the conversation — make that two.

One of those conversations came back to Pam Pledger, his mom, when Chris’ girlfriend brought it up. “In my grief, I hadn’t remembered it.”

As a Reicher Catholic high-schooler needing his parents’ permission to designate himself as an organ donor when applying for a driver’s license, he told them, “This is important to me.”

In case of sudden death, he said, he didn’t want useful organs committed to the sod.

The second conversation was with his girlfriend a couple of years later, saying something similar when he got his license renewed.

In the dizzying moments after his death, she brought that to the Pledgers’ attention.

Like any of us would, Pam Pledger admitted reticence to the idea of someone harvesting her son’s organs. But having been reminded of what he said, the vehemence of her son’s wishes came surging through.

We need more of that vehemence, and more conversations.

As of Monday morning, 101,765 Americans were awaiting life-saving transplants. Last year 6,500 on the national list died waiting.

The Texas Organ Sharing Alliance is engaged in a nonstop drive to sign up donors. The key reason: Of the 2.3 million Americans who die every year, only 3 percent die in the sudden-death situations ideal for harvesting organs.

That doesn’t mean, for instance, that older Americans whose organs have some miles on them shouldn’t designate themselves. Even people whose organs aren’t harvestable can donate tissues for transplant.

You may assume that you have designated your organs for donation by answering affirmatively in getting your driver’s license. I did. But I realized, when speaking with representatives of the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, that nothing in my possession reflected that decision.

Something can take care of the matter promptly and for perpetuity.

Go to donatelifetexas.org and register. (Punching in my information, I was relieved to be informed that I was already registered.)

Now, that’s not all. Step 2 is: Tell someone. Tell a spouse and your children.

Then, live.

If the unspeakable happens, much good can come from your untimely demise.

The Pledgers were able to meet three of the people whose lives were prolonged because of Chris’ charity. She admits to having a special bond with them. “Chris gave them the gift of life,” she said, “and they have given me the gift of family.”

Organ donation, as with blood donation, is one of those examples in which, though many things separate us, we are all kin.

John Young’s column appears Thursday and Sunday. E-mail: jyoung@wacotrib.com.