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9-year-old shooting victim's organs help save child

An organ donation from the 9-year-old Tucson shooting victim has saved the life of a child on the East Coast, media reported.
Christina Taylor Green, 9, was one of six people killed in last week's shooting.
Christina Taylor Green, 9, was one of six people killed in last week's shooting. MSNBC - TV
/ Source: msnbc.com news services

An organ donation from the 9-year-old Tucson shooting victim has saved the life of a child in Boston, according to media reports.

Christina Taylor Green was one of six people killed in the shooting rampage that targeted U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords outside a Safeway store outside of Tucson. Giffords, 40, remained in critical condition on Saturday.

A friend of Green's family said they learned of the news through a donors' network that her donation had saved the life of a young girl on the East Coast, the Arizona Republic reported.

There were no details on which Boston hospital or organs were involved, according to WCVB TV in Boston. Officials would not release the identity of the child saved or the nature of the illness that required the transplant, the Republic reported.

In earlier developments, Christina's father, John Green, confirmed the donation, adding "some of Christina's organs went to a little girl in Boston. It was very poignant to find out. That's what Christina was all about," CNN reported on Friday.

Green said he looked forward to meeting the recipient one day, WCVB reported.

"I'd give her a big hug," he said. "It's a blessing."

On Thursday, at least 2,000 mourners packed into St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church to say goodbye to Christina, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001 and featured in the book "9/11: Faces of Hope."

She loved ballet, gymnastics and baseball, the only girl on the team.

Christina, was newly elected on the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School, was excited to meet the congresswoman.

The Most Rev. Gerald Kicanas, bishop of Tucson, spoke about the donations at Green's funeral on Thursday, but he did not specify where the recipient lived, according to the Arizona newspaper.

"She wanted to make a difference in her life. She wanted to make her mark, and she did so in so powerful a way that even she cannot imagine," Kicanas said, the Republic reported.