Senior Ciara Falzone knew where her life was heading. She planned to attend physician’s assistant school after graduation, and her boyfriend of six years was coming with her.

But on August 13, 2013, all of that changed.

“He was stopped (on his moped) to … take a left-hand turn into his driveway, and there was an 18-year-old kid driving behind him going at least 30 miles an hour who didn’t stop,” Falzone said. “They later found out that (the driver who hit him) was texting and driving.”

David Riggs, Falzone’s boyfriend, was rushed to the hospital and eventually put in a medically-induced coma because of severe brain swelling. Although pronounced brain-dead, Riggs was kept on life support to wait for his brother to return from Afghanistan and to sustain his organs for donation. On August 17, 2013, Riggs was taken off life support and almost all of his organs were donated.

“It was kind of weird to think about the next day. I’m like, ‘OK, well these people are already getting his organs,’” Falzone said. “I know his lungs went to a 51-year-old mom of three … which is kind of cool because that’s like my mom. That was touching.”

Although Falzone’s life was suddenly and drastically different, she worked with St. Thomas so she could take just eight credits in the fall and adjust her scholarship appropriately.

“That was the perfect amount for me because it gave me a nice balance keeping myself busy with school but then having my personal time and having time to spend with his family and do what I needed to do for myself, too,” Falzone said.

Health and human performance assistant professor Lesley Scibora had Falzone in class in spring 2014, once she had taken on a full load again. Scibora described Falzone as “so incredibly dedicated.”

“Never missed class. Always on time, always asking intelligent, curious questions. You can see that she is intellectually curious, and she wants to know,” Scibora said. “You could tell that she wanted to be able to apply the information to what she would potentially do later.”

Now, Falzone is using her story to encourage others to avoid texting while driving.

“I think unfortunately a lot of people don’t understand the repercussions of it until something like that happens,” she said.

Falzone said that although she was still grieving, she knew she needed to continue with her schooling.

“I know David was super proud of himself in school, and he was super proud of me and where I’d gotten in school and wanted me to go to PA school, so I didn’t want to stop that. I needed to continue to pursue that,” she said.

True to her word, Falzone is graduating in May and heading to PA school at the University of Colorado-Denver. Scibora said whatever Falzone decides to do, she will be successful.

“Oh, (her future’s) so bright. It’s limitless for her,” Scibora said. “She’s one of those students where you just look at her and say, ‘She gets it, and she knows what to do.’ She’s just got things together … and amazingly so despite her personal story, which makes it even more remarkable.”

Falzone’s career plans didn’t necessarily change after Riggs’ accident, but she said she has a renewed passion for becoming a health care professional.

“I always knew that was what I wanted to do, but then after everything happened, I know that I can be a very good contributor to this field because I know the other side of it now,” she said.

Even in the midst of her personal tragedy, Falzone was able to find hope in Riggs’ organ donation.

“We had talked with David’s family that day when we were waiting for everything to happen – that this is the saddest day of our lives, but this is the happiest day for another family,” Falzone said.

Baihly Warfield can be reached at warf3860@stthomas.edu.