At the tender age of 20 years, Matt finished his final race in glory with God.
Matt will forever be loved, cherished and held close in the hearts of his parents, John and Sue, his brothers, Mark and John and "his" Amy (nee Ray, sister-in-law). Matt's loving family also includes grandparents, Mary and Jack (in Heaven) Wittig and Virginia and Tony (in Heaven) Lemberger; paternal aunts and uncles, Connie Wittig, Mary (in Heaven) and Rick Hensch, Ann and John Pesch, Margaret Wittig and Todd McCullough (in Heaven), Joan Wittig, Jim Wittig, Lynne and Mark Kern, Virginia and Carl (in Heaven) Reinhart; maternal aunts and uncles, Barb and Bob Blasing, Cathy and Tom Czech, Mark and Anna Lemberger, Steve and Colleen Lemberger, Dan and Gale Lemberger, Margie Grosso (in Heaven), Beth and Rob Kordus, Dick and Michele Lemberger, Anne and Jeff Costigan. Matt's extensive family, which will honor him with their memories, includes cousins, second parents Bruce and Marialice Johnson, the cycling community and many, many friends.
"Keep on racing like the wind our sweet, sweet baby boy. You are our hero!"
A passion for bicycling
A licensed U.S. Cycling Federation racer, Matt Wittig was injured during a Wisconsin Cup bicycle race in Muskego County Park on May 7. He was pulling away from the pack of riders when his right foot slipped out of a pedal, his right knee struck the handlebars and he was flung over the bars onto the pavement, said Hans Higdon, a fellow rider and event organizer.
Wittig suffered head injuries. He was wearing a helmet, but he likely was traveling 25 to 30 mph when the accident occurred, Higdon said.
Wittig, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was involved in a similar serious bicycling accident last spring. He was an officer in the UW Cycling Club.
Even after the first accident, he continued racing this fall because "that was his passion," his mother said. "This was the light that kept him going."
His family supported Wittig's decision to get back into racing, she said. "We will never regret that he went back on his bike."
Matt Wittig was flown from the scene of the May 7 accident by Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa. He was declared brain dead Thursday morning and his organs were harvested Thursday night, said his brother, Mark Wittig.
On Friday, the organs were transplanted into four people from southeastern Wisconsin and one from Indiana.
The recipients include:
• A man in his mid-30s who received Wittig's heart.
• A woman in her late 40s who received his lungs.
• A woman in her mid-50s who received his liver.
• An Indiana man in his early 30s, who received one of Wittig's kidneys.
• A man in his late 20s who received Wittig's other kidney and his pancreas.
The enormity of Matt Wittig's gift and the even larger loss felt by his family wasn't lost on Olsen of the Wisconsin Donor Network.
"It's beneficial to the people who receive the organ transplants, but it's tragic when anyone dies young and suddenly like that," Olsen said.
Wittig's tissues also were harvested. Olsen said they could have included bone segments, veins, skin, his corneas and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
"These tissues can be used to help up to 75 people," Olsen said. "They are considered life enhancing."
As of May 6, 2005 more than 95,000 people were waiting for organ transplants in the United States, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
Matt will forever be loved, cherished and held close in the hearts of his parents, John and Sue, his brothers, Mark and John and "his" Amy (nee Ray, sister-in-law). Matt's loving family also includes grandparents, Mary and Jack (in Heaven) Wittig and Virginia and Tony (in Heaven) Lemberger; paternal aunts and uncles, Connie Wittig, Mary (in Heaven) and Rick Hensch, Ann and John Pesch, Margaret Wittig and Todd McCullough (in Heaven), Joan Wittig, Jim Wittig, Lynne and Mark Kern, Virginia and Carl (in Heaven) Reinhart; maternal aunts and uncles, Barb and Bob Blasing, Cathy and Tom Czech, Mark and Anna Lemberger, Steve and Colleen Lemberger, Dan and Gale Lemberger, Margie Grosso (in Heaven), Beth and Rob Kordus, Dick and Michele Lemberger, Anne and Jeff Costigan. Matt's extensive family, which will honor him with their memories, includes cousins, second parents Bruce and Marialice Johnson, the cycling community and many, many friends.
"Keep on racing like the wind our sweet, sweet baby boy. You are our hero!"
A passion for bicycling
A licensed U.S. Cycling Federation racer, Matt Wittig was injured during a Wisconsin Cup bicycle race in Muskego County Park on May 7. He was pulling away from the pack of riders when his right foot slipped out of a pedal, his right knee struck the handlebars and he was flung over the bars onto the pavement, said Hans Higdon, a fellow rider and event organizer.
Wittig suffered head injuries. He was wearing a helmet, but he likely was traveling 25 to 30 mph when the accident occurred, Higdon said.
Wittig, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was involved in a similar serious bicycling accident last spring. He was an officer in the UW Cycling Club.
Even after the first accident, he continued racing this fall because "that was his passion," his mother said. "This was the light that kept him going."
His family supported Wittig's decision to get back into racing, she said. "We will never regret that he went back on his bike."
Matt Wittig was flown from the scene of the May 7 accident by Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa. He was declared brain dead Thursday morning and his organs were harvested Thursday night, said his brother, Mark Wittig.
On Friday, the organs were transplanted into four people from southeastern Wisconsin and one from Indiana.
The recipients include:
• A man in his mid-30s who received Wittig's heart.
• A woman in her late 40s who received his lungs.
• A woman in her mid-50s who received his liver.
• An Indiana man in his early 30s, who received one of Wittig's kidneys.
• A man in his late 20s who received Wittig's other kidney and his pancreas.
The enormity of Matt Wittig's gift and the even larger loss felt by his family wasn't lost on Olsen of the Wisconsin Donor Network.
"It's beneficial to the people who receive the organ transplants, but it's tragic when anyone dies young and suddenly like that," Olsen said.
Wittig's tissues also were harvested. Olsen said they could have included bone segments, veins, skin, his corneas and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
"These tissues can be used to help up to 75 people," Olsen said. "They are considered life enhancing."
As of May 6, 2005 more than 95,000 people were waiting for organ transplants in the United States, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
At the tender age of 20 years, Matt finished his final race in glory with God.
Matt will forever be loved, cherished and held close in the hearts of his parents, John and Sue, his brothers, Mark and John and "his" Amy (nee Ray, sister-in-law). Matt's loving family also includes grandparents, Mary and Jack (in Heaven) Wittig and Virginia and Tony (in Heaven) Lemberger; paternal aunts and uncles, Connie Wittig, Mary (in Heaven) and Rick Hensch, Ann and John Pesch, Margaret Wittig and Todd McCullough (in Heaven), Joan Wittig, Jim Wittig, Lynne and Mark Kern, Virginia and Carl (in Heaven) Reinhart; maternal aunts and uncles, Barb and Bob Blasing, Cathy and Tom Czech, Mark and Anna Lemberger, Steve and Colleen Lemberger, Dan and Gale Lemberger, Margie Grosso (in Heaven), Beth and Rob Kordus, Dick and Michele Lemberger, Anne and Jeff Costigan. Matt's extensive family, which will honor him with their memories, includes cousins, second parents Bruce and Marialice Johnson, the cycling community and many, many friends.
"Keep on racing like the wind our sweet, sweet baby boy. You are our hero!"
A passion for bicycling
A licensed U.S. Cycling Federation racer, Matt Wittig was injured during a Wisconsin Cup bicycle race in Muskego County Park on May 7. He was pulling away from the pack of riders when his right foot slipped out of a pedal, his right knee struck the handlebars and he was flung over the bars onto the pavement, said Hans Higdon, a fellow rider and event organizer.
Wittig suffered head injuries. He was wearing a helmet, but he likely was traveling 25 to 30 mph when the accident occurred, Higdon said.
Wittig, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was involved in a similar serious bicycling accident last spring. He was an officer in the UW Cycling Club.
Even after the first accident, he continued racing this fall because "that was his passion," his mother said. "This was the light that kept him going."
His family supported Wittig's decision to get back into racing, she said. "We will never regret that he went back on his bike."
Matt Wittig was flown from the scene of the May 7 accident by Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa. He was declared brain dead Thursday morning and his organs were harvested Thursday night, said his brother, Mark Wittig.
On Friday, the organs were transplanted into four people from southeastern Wisconsin and one from Indiana.
The recipients include:
• A man in his mid-30s who received Wittig's heart.
• A woman in her late 40s who received his lungs.
• A woman in her mid-50s who received his liver.
• An Indiana man in his early 30s, who received one of Wittig's kidneys.
• A man in his late 20s who received Wittig's other kidney and his pancreas.
The enormity of Matt Wittig's gift and the even larger loss felt by his family wasn't lost on Olsen of the Wisconsin Donor Network.
"It's beneficial to the people who receive the organ transplants, but it's tragic when anyone dies young and suddenly like that," Olsen said.
Wittig's tissues also were harvested. Olsen said they could have included bone segments, veins, skin, his corneas and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
"These tissues can be used to help up to 75 people," Olsen said. "They are considered life enhancing."
As of May 6, 2005 more than 95,000 people were waiting for organ transplants in the United States, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
Matt will forever be loved, cherished and held close in the hearts of his parents, John and Sue, his brothers, Mark and John and "his" Amy (nee Ray, sister-in-law). Matt's loving family also includes grandparents, Mary and Jack (in Heaven) Wittig and Virginia and Tony (in Heaven) Lemberger; paternal aunts and uncles, Connie Wittig, Mary (in Heaven) and Rick Hensch, Ann and John Pesch, Margaret Wittig and Todd McCullough (in Heaven), Joan Wittig, Jim Wittig, Lynne and Mark Kern, Virginia and Carl (in Heaven) Reinhart; maternal aunts and uncles, Barb and Bob Blasing, Cathy and Tom Czech, Mark and Anna Lemberger, Steve and Colleen Lemberger, Dan and Gale Lemberger, Margie Grosso (in Heaven), Beth and Rob Kordus, Dick and Michele Lemberger, Anne and Jeff Costigan. Matt's extensive family, which will honor him with their memories, includes cousins, second parents Bruce and Marialice Johnson, the cycling community and many, many friends.
"Keep on racing like the wind our sweet, sweet baby boy. You are our hero!"
A passion for bicycling
A licensed U.S. Cycling Federation racer, Matt Wittig was injured during a Wisconsin Cup bicycle race in Muskego County Park on May 7. He was pulling away from the pack of riders when his right foot slipped out of a pedal, his right knee struck the handlebars and he was flung over the bars onto the pavement, said Hans Higdon, a fellow rider and event organizer.
Wittig suffered head injuries. He was wearing a helmet, but he likely was traveling 25 to 30 mph when the accident occurred, Higdon said.
Wittig, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was involved in a similar serious bicycling accident last spring. He was an officer in the UW Cycling Club.
Even after the first accident, he continued racing this fall because "that was his passion," his mother said. "This was the light that kept him going."
His family supported Wittig's decision to get back into racing, she said. "We will never regret that he went back on his bike."
Matt Wittig was flown from the scene of the May 7 accident by Flight for Life helicopter to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa. He was declared brain dead Thursday morning and his organs were harvested Thursday night, said his brother, Mark Wittig.
On Friday, the organs were transplanted into four people from southeastern Wisconsin and one from Indiana.
The recipients include:
• A man in his mid-30s who received Wittig's heart.
• A woman in her late 40s who received his lungs.
• A woman in her mid-50s who received his liver.
• An Indiana man in his early 30s, who received one of Wittig's kidneys.
• A man in his late 20s who received Wittig's other kidney and his pancreas.
The enormity of Matt Wittig's gift and the even larger loss felt by his family wasn't lost on Olsen of the Wisconsin Donor Network.
"It's beneficial to the people who receive the organ transplants, but it's tragic when anyone dies young and suddenly like that," Olsen said.
Wittig's tissues also were harvested. Olsen said they could have included bone segments, veins, skin, his corneas and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
"These tissues can be used to help up to 75 people," Olsen said. "They are considered life enhancing."
As of May 6, 2005 more than 95,000 people were waiting for organ transplants in the United States, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
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