BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – Sergeant Cory Maynard continues to be mourned throughout West Virginia, beloved by his community as an officer who gave his all to serve and protect the community he loved.

Sergeant Maynard’s legacy doesn’t end here though. He continues to help those in need through tissue donation.

Cheryl King, Community Outreach Coordinator with the Center for Organ Recovery & Education, said the contribution of tissue is immeasurably impactful.

“A lot of people are born with heart valves that are defective so you can save someone’s life when they get a heart valve. Or you can have a severe skin burn and the skin can be grafted,” King said.

King said tissue donation is especially impactful because of how far-reaching the healing it provides can be.

She said one tissue donor can help over 75 different people through the donation process. This process can both heal serious injuries and save lives.

King said she continues to get letters to this day from people that were saved through tissue donations organized by the Center for Organ Recovery & Education.

“We get letters, and they are so thankful that they can now hike, or now walk without pain. They can get down on the floor with their grandchildren. It can just make the world a difference in someone who has an injury,” King said.

Donors aren’t limited to organ donation. Tissue donors have the ability to donate anything from tendons, valves, veins, bones, to even your corneas.

But no matter the type of donation, King urges everyone to donate if given the chance.

“If you can do that for someone, that is just the most important gift you can give. I know this has been said before, but it truly is the gift that keeps on giving,” King said.

It’s with this gift that Sergeant Maynard’s legacy will live on, ensuring that at least one more person can live a long and happy life thanks to the choice he made to donate.