Nicholas Green
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Green was an American
boy who was shot and killed in an attempted automobile robbery while vacationing with his family in Southern Italy
. After he died, his parents chose to donate his organs. Five people received his major organs, and two received a cornea transplant. The incident is credited with generating a significant increase in the rate of organ donation in Italy.
Southern Italy. On the night of September 29, 1994 his parents were driving on the A3 motorway between Salerno
and Reggio Calabria
. At some point, they stopped at an Autogrill
, where it is believed that two men started following them. The men, wearing masks, pulled alongside the Greens' vehicle and shouted something in Italian, which the Greens did not understand. Reginald Green accelerated, at which point the men fired shots into the rear of the car. He accelerated a second time, and once again the men shot into the back of the car. After the pursuers gave up Reginald stopped the car, and at this point he and Margaret realised that Nicholas had been shot in the head. They drove directly to the nearest town, but the hospital was not equipped to deal with Nicholas' injuries. The police took the family to Villa San Giovanni
, where they transferred to a ferry which brought them across the Strait of Messina
to the port of Messina. From there, the police took them to a specialist head injuries unit at a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
A TV movie, Nicholas' Gift, starring Jamie Lee Curtis
and Alan Bates
, was based upon the event.
Biannually since 2001, the World Transplant Games Federation has held the Nicholas Cup, a competition reserved for children who have undergone a transplant. It has been held in Switzerland
in 2001, Bormio in Northern Italy
in 2004, Poland
in 2005, and Finland
in 2008.
Several schools, streets and squares in Italian cities have been named or renamed in honor of Nicholas Green.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boy who was shot and killed in an attempted automobile robbery while vacationing with his family in Southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. After he died, his parents chose to donate his organs. Five people received his major organs, and two received a cornea transplant. The incident is credited with generating a significant increase in the rate of organ donation in Italy.
Death
Nicholas Green, his sister, Eleanor, and their two parents, Margaret and Reginald, had been on holiday in CalabriaCalabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
Southern Italy. On the night of September 29, 1994 his parents were driving on the A3 motorway between Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
and Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
. At some point, they stopped at an Autogrill
Autogrill
Autogrill is an Italian-based, multinational catering and retail company, the world's largest in the travel dining sector, which is controlled with a 59% stake by the Edizione Holding investment vehicle of the Benetton family. Autogrill runs operations in 40 different countries, primarily in Europe...
, where it is believed that two men started following them. The men, wearing masks, pulled alongside the Greens' vehicle and shouted something in Italian, which the Greens did not understand. Reginald Green accelerated, at which point the men fired shots into the rear of the car. He accelerated a second time, and once again the men shot into the back of the car. After the pursuers gave up Reginald stopped the car, and at this point he and Margaret realised that Nicholas had been shot in the head. They drove directly to the nearest town, but the hospital was not equipped to deal with Nicholas' injuries. The police took the family to Villa San Giovanni
Villa San Giovanni
Villa San Giovanni is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, southern Italy. As of 2010 its population was of 13,747.-Geography:...
, where they transferred to a ferry which brought them across the Strait of Messina
Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina is the narrow passage between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria in the south of Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Ionian Sea, within the central Mediterranean...
to the port of Messina. From there, the police took them to a specialist head injuries unit at a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
Family
The family mourned their son's death. In May 1996 the Greens had twins, a girl (Laura) and a boy (Martin).Trial
Following the shooting, Italian police arrested two men on November 2, 1994. They were tried in Catanzaro by a court consisting of three judges, and on January 17, 1997 they were found not guilty. Reginald Green had been unable to identify them, as the shooters had both been wearing masks, and it was dark. However, a year later, with no new evidence, an appellate court with a jury convicted the pair. This decision was upheld by Italy's supreme court in 1999.Organ Donation
Following Nicholas' death, the donation rate increased dramatically in Italy, a country where organ transports were thought of as taboo. Nicholas' name continues to be associated with organ donation. The result of his parents' decision is described as "The Nicholas Effect" (l'Effetto Nicholas) and refers not only to the organ donation issue but also to the goodwill that emerged from the tragedy.Memorials
Reginald Green wrote a book about the events surrounding his son's death called The Nicholas Effect.A TV movie, Nicholas' Gift, starring Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
and Alan Bates
Alan Bates
Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE was an English actor, who came to prominence in the 1960s, a time of high creativity in British cinema, when he demonstrated his versatility in films ranging from the popular children’s story Whistle Down the Wind to the "kitchen sink" drama A Kind of Loving...
, was based upon the event.
Biannually since 2001, the World Transplant Games Federation has held the Nicholas Cup, a competition reserved for children who have undergone a transplant. It has been held in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 2001, Bormio in Northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 2004, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 2005, and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in 2008.
Several schools, streets and squares in Italian cities have been named or renamed in honor of Nicholas Green.