Ryan Arnold: Before & after videos about man who died after liver donation for brother Chad

As if the story of Ryan Arnold, the South Dakota man who died at the University of Colorado Hospital after donating part of his liver to his brother, Chad, wasn't sad enough already... Rod Arnold, Ryan's brother, had a Vimeo account prior to Ryan's death, and he posted a video...

By Michael Roberts

August 16, 2010

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As if the story of Ryan Arnold, the South Dakota man who died at the University of Colorado Hospital after donating part of his liver to his brother, Chad, wasn't sad enough already...

Rod Arnold, Ryan's brother, had a Vimeo account prior to Ryan's death, and he posted a video that captures Ryan and Chad embracing before the surgery. That's followed by seven others from Ryan's memorial service.

Another heart-rending image: this Christmas card shot of Ryan and his family...

The photo is included on RyanArnold.org, a website set up by Ryan's family to honor his sacrifice and collect funds for the children he's left behind. (To donate online, click here.) The site links to a CaringBridge.org page loaded with heartfelt tributes and a link to the videos on view below. The juxtaposition of the videos made before the tragedy with those recorded afterward puts the tragedy in stark relief:

Ryan and Chad - pre-surgery brotherhood from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Rev. Steve Ferguson from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Dustin Strande from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Zach Kelm from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Dr. Allen West from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Barry Poppen from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Robb Arnold from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Rod Arnold from the arnold family on Vimeo.

Note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly implied that the Vimeo account belonged to the Ryan Arnold family, not to Rod Arnold, and included two since-removed clips featuring Rod's children, not Ryan's. We apologize for the error.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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