Helena teen donates organs after motorcycle crash, bikers rev engines in tribute

It was a little surreal when Madi Ring heard dozens of motorcycle engines rumbling Monday from the St. Peter’s Health parking lot, a last goodbye to her friend who’d soon donate his organs.

They came in waves, bikers in patched vests and full body gear revving engines like rolling thunder before they dismounted. Some embraced the group of teenagers watching from across the street.

“Deke would love this,” Ring said. She pulled in a friend for a hug.

Darrin "Deke" Yoder, a 19-year-old man, was severely injured in a crash last Thursday evening.

At around 6:30 p.m., Yoder on his motorcycle and another driver in a Subaru Outback were both driving eastbound on Lyndale Avenue near the intersection with Rodney Street when the Subaru slowed to make a turn, Helena Police Lt. Adam Shanks said.

Yoder hit the Subaru and was critically injured. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment. Yoder was wearing a helmet, Shanks said.

But before he was hurt, Yoder was known as a joyful man hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, family and friends said. He moved to Helena around a year ago and worked at Ford of Helena, where he met Ring and many of her friends.

He made the most of hard days, Ring said. He never liked to be angry for long, always looking forward with a big grin and a good joke.

On Monday, he donated his organs at St. Peter’s Health. Friends, family and medical professionals lined the hospital hallway for an honor walk, a quiet show of gratitude and remembrance.

Lining those walls were at least 30 motorcyclists, some who knew Yoder and some who didn’t.

A call from Yoder’s loved ones to attend had been put on social media that morning, and even with only a few hours' notice, bikers from groups like Dysfunctional MC and Tenacious Dames had turned out.

While many of the bikers didn’t know Yoder, they knew people like him. Some bikers saw nephews or cousins in Yoder who also fell victim to motorcycle crashes.

Showing up means raising awareness for motorcyclist safety, they said. Young drivers especially need to learn how to be cautious.

Others were witnesses to Yoder’s collision.

“This is what we do,” a biker with Dysfunctional MC said. "He's a fallen brother, and if even if we don’t know him, we get out here and show a presence.”

Yoder's donation will be handled by LifeCenter Northwest, a nonprofit that manages organ donations in Montana, Alaska, northern Idaho and Washington.

The federally recognized and accredited organization was established in 1997 and serves around 11 million people, according to the organization.

Currently, 193 Montanans are waiting for a transplant, spokesperson Jenna Huerta said. Nationwide, that list is over 100,000 names long. Kidneys are the most-needed organ.

Each organ donor can save up to eight lives and improve many more through tissue and eye donations, LifeCenter Northwest estimates.

Yoder being an organ donor just felt right, Ring said.

"He was just so bright," Ring said. "He inspired me to be better, to smile more ... I hope he knew that."

To learn more about organ donation, visit lcnw.org.