Tree planted in Naperville to honor organ donors

Suburban residents whose lives have been touched through organ donations attended the 24th annual tree planting dedication at the Naper Settlement in Naperville on Sunday to honor organ and tissue donors and their families.

Among them were Jill and Matt Zuleg of Naperville, who launched the Kyle Zuleg Foundation to encourage organ donation after their 16-year-old son, Kyle, was fatally injured in a 2010 camping accident. The Zulegs made the hard decision to let Kyle go and to donate his organs, so that someone else might live. The decision helped to save five other lives.

"As much as we wanted to keep Kyle with us he was clearly wanted and needed somewhere else," Jill Zuleg said.

Joining them Sunday was Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who's led numerous efforts to encourage people to sign up as potential donors and shared with the crowd his personal story of organ donation involving his sister.

This year Organ Transplant Support planted an Apple Serviceberry not far from the chapel on north end of the Naper Settlement property.