Brittany Lawrence is able to walk now thanks to knee tissue donated from her father after he died.

BOISE - Brittany Lawrence is walking well after her knee surgery. The 19-year-old tore her ACL in a skiing accident in March. She put off the procedure for months,but it's been a much faster recovery.

"During rehab, they were just amazed at how well it was doing and how fast I was progressing - we kept saying, Dad was strong. That's probably the reason why," says Brittany. 5:30

Brittany's dad is also the reason there is so much more to this story than just a successful surgery. About two months after the active Oregon teen's accident on the slopes, another accident. One that eventually took Mark Lawrence's life.

"We were on the four-wheeler together and he fell off and hit his head it was complications from that that he died," said Brittany.

Diane Lawrence, Brittany's mom, says Mark was a very giving person and gave everything to donation services.

"The donor service guy had called and ask if I had any questions. I said 'actually yes, our daughter is going to be needing surgery, is there any chance she could get some of her dad's tissue," said Diane.

Lawrence family

Brittany Lawrence pictured with her dad Mark.

The answer, yes. And this fall Brittany got a special gift from her father.

In October, Dr. Kevin Shea fixed her knee, and helped bring the Lawrence family back together.

"What her father donated was a large tendon in his body that allowed us to basically replace the torn rope from her injured ACL and and put another rope in there," said Dr. Shea.

As she heals, Brittany's family is thankful for her father - a pastor, rancher, and donor who helped his own daughter.

"I'm thankful for him. For his life. Just for his faithfulness and just all that he's shared with people who are left here," said Diane.

"He'd pray every morning on his knees. One lady said a really profound thing. That when I got his ligament I'll be praying on my daddy's knees now and continuing on his legacy in that way," said Brittany.

The Lawrence family says they've received anonymous letters of thanks from others who Mark helped through being a donor.

As for Brittany, she says she hopes to someday become a nurse.