Unsung Hereos

Nominated by: Ann Wertman

Nomination essay

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Krysta Hankee, a Northwestern Lehigh High School graduate and resident of Germansville, was a compassionate, focused, athletic, and motivated go-getter; “no” was not in her vocabulary. At age 22 her profile of accomplishments in education, athletics and the community filled two pages. In May of 2007 Krysta graduated with a degree in Marketing/Foreign Business after studying at the American University Kogod School of Business in Washington, D. C. and New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Her parents, William and Christine Hankee reveled in their daughter’ s future as she landed a promising position as assistant project manager at Triangle Equities of Whitestone, New York. Her mindset was that of a future leader and she had stated she was going to become Governor of Pennsylvania.

Her potential was never realized as all these dreams were tragically lost on September 23, 2007, when she collapsed in a gym and was declared brain dead five days later. In their deepest period of sorrow, her parents and brother Kyle found comfort in Krysta’s final heroic act through organ, tissue and corneal donorship saving the lives of five strangers and enhancing the lives of many others. In their hearts, they were joyful that a small part of her existence lived on.

But there had to be more.

It is often stated that out of death new life emerges and in tragedy one finds their life’s purpose. Even during their darkest hours, the goal of Krysta’s parents, both retired Kernsville Elementary School teachers, became carrying on their daughter’s legacy.

While Bill and Chris remained in New York to carry out Krysta’s wishes of organ donation, friends, neighbors and the community assisted with burial details, arranged a funeral luncheon, and laid the groundwork for a memorial scholarship at Northwestern School District in lieu of flowers. The scholarship collected $18,000 within a year. Bill stated, “No family is ever ready for their 22-year- old daughter to pass away, but we’re lucky because we learned what a really great community can accomplish in times of need. A caring community is everything.”.

But there still had to be more.

In 2007 Bill and Chris founded The Krysta Hankee Memorial Fund, a 501(c)(3), funded by golf tournaments and many wonderful supporters. The Fund, now partnered with more than 30 Lehigh Valley agencies, maintains and supports the Fund’s three missions:

• To maintain the “Krysta Cares (KC) Flight Club” to implement worthy community building and family support initiatives identifying needs within the community and through partnerships with service providers. Awards include adaptive equipment and “Miles that Matter” gift gas cards which have enabled hundreds of needy individuals to travel more than two million miles for required services.

• To provide Leadership and Community Service Scholarships to worthy students. Applicant prerequisites for scholarship awards at Northwestern Lehigh High School and Lehigh Carbon Community College exemplify Krysta’s community strengthening traits. Scholarship awards up to $4,000 per individual now total more than $129,000. The awardees become part of the Hankee Family as they progress along their educational pathways.

• To increase organ, eye, and t issue donation awareness/ registration and the great need for these gifts of life.

A partnering agency, the Allentown Morning Call, in their 2019 “Be an Angel” campaign coverage quoted Bill – “Losing Krysta was unbelievably difficult, but we discovered that the best way to help ourselves is to help others.”.

Angel Krysta, be proud – through the caring, ambitious legacy your beloved parents, Bill and Chris, have established you live on as a role model for many.