When it comes right down to it, Donate Life month is about people. The people who receive this priceless gift and, of course, the givers. All organ donation is done anonymously, unless the donor’s family wants to share their experience and in some cases, meet the recipient. For Donate Life month, we wanted to share a few stories from some donor families.

Sebastian’s Story

Sebastian was an easy going young man who liked to joke around a lot. That is why his mom, Gerri, was so surprised when he came home from school one day and asked if she was an organ donor. Gerri hadn’t really thought about donation before and was unsure how she felt. Sebastian made sure his mom knew he wanted to be an organ donor.

When Sebastian was killed in a tragic accident, Gerri respected his wishes to be an organ donor. “I am so grateful for that conversation with Sebastian,” says Gerri. “It was important to me to know he had thought this through. I said yes to honor his wishes. I didn’t understand until later what a huge difference his decision would make.”

Gerri later met Carol, the recipient of Sebastian’s liver. “Carol was so sick before the transplant. She showed me some pictures and it doesn’t even look like the same person. She really didn’t think she was going to make it and she had two teenage sons who still needed their mom.” Gerri and Carol now share their story in hopes it will get others talking about donation.

Alexis’ Story

Alexis was ‘larger than life’ according to her sister, Jenell. She was almost six feet tall, but it wasn’t just her height that causes her sister to describe her that way; it was her energy, her zest for life and her love of people.

One day, Alexis came home after discussing organ donation in school and told her mom that if anything happened to her, she wanted to be an organ donor. She sounded excited about the fact that she could save someone else when she was gone. A few years later, Alexis was traveling home from a church sponsored youth activity when the van she was riding in was involved in an accident. She did not survive.

When her parents were approached about the possibility of organ donation, they remembered their conversation and were comforted to know this was what Alexis would want. She gave four people a second chance at life.

Jenell carries on her legacy by educating students about the importance of donation and telling them about Alexis. She describes Alexis as a ‘champion of the underdog.’ She was a friend to everyone and it was important to her that everyone felt included. In high school, she was involved in basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, drill and drama. She had recently graduated from high school and was planning to attend college on a drama scholarship.

Alexis passed away in 1990. She made the decision to be an organ donor at a time when many people were still unfamiliar with the life-saving miracle of transplantation. Today, her story continues to help others make the decision to become an organ donor.

Adam’s Story

Adam’s mom, Lisa, remembers exactly where she was standing when her son Adam brought up the subject of organ donation. When Lisa was faced with the reality of losing her teenage son, that conversation came back to her and she readily made the decision to donate Adam’s organs.

Steve, who had been struggling with liver disease, was the recipient of Adam’s liver. He wanted to meet Adam’s family and thank them personally for making the decision to donate Adam’s organs. Lisa agreed and they arranged to meet. Steve was pretty nervous, not knowing what to expect. The nervousness left as soon as he met Lisa and she gave him a big hug. They have forged a very strong friendship and both are now involved in public education efforts, teaching students about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

For more information about how you can make a difference and become an organ, eye, and tissue donor, visit www.yesutah.org, or the Donate Life America website.