Donors and recipients

Honoring the gift.

We are grateful to hear from donor families and recipients about the impact of their experiences. Please consider sharing your story to help spread awareness about the donation process and the life-changing difference it can make.

Read more about the thoughtful donors and appreciative recipients.

Share your story

Donor Family Story: Rose (Rosalinda) Perez

Rose passed away on December 5, 2023, at the age of 45. Rose was very vibrant and filled the room with her big smile and laughter. Rose was a loving, trusting, and a giving person who was always ready to give you a big hug. Rose’s favorite role in life was being a “Boy Mom”. […]

Donor Family Story: Barry Shelton

Barry and I were each other’s first loved going back to 7th grade.  God saw fit to finally reunite us about 3 years ago. He told everyone we were a fairytale. Barry had a beautiful heart. He was also talented artist and musician. I felt loved every day. And I miss him so much.

Donor Family Story: Sheila Corbin

I just wanted to thank you for the beautiful blanket in honor of my mother, Sheila Corbin. She was the strongest woman I ever knew. She was loving, generous, and selfless. She loved her family more than anything in this world, and the fact that she will live on through someone else gives me great […]

Donor Family Story: Barry Parris

When Barry was in his early 20s he was in an accident by a drunk driver. He had severe brain trauma and had a 5% chance of living through the night after immediate brain surgery. As you know he lived many many years after. He was such a fighter. He taught himself how to walk […]

Donor Family Story: Sawyer Updike

Born in Curepipe, Mauritius (Africa) on March 12, 2005, Sawyer Lee Updike graced the world with his presence until January 16, 2024. A proud graduate of Dawson High School, Class of 2023, Sawyer was a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering. Standing tall at 6’6″, Sawyer radiated warmth beyond his height, epitomized […]

Donor Family Story: Nancy Minger

My mom passed away on 12/2/2023 and she donated her eyes to your organization. I just wanted to share some things about her. She was 67 years old from Blythewood SC. My mom was so very tough. She was the CEO of our entire family. She had 2 children, me and my brother. But she […]

Donor Family Story: Jared Butler

My son Jared Butler was killed in a motorcycle accident on November 14. We donated all his organs (eyes skin and tissue) to those who needed them. Jared was always helping other people no matter how small or big the problem was. His friends called him the Rebel. He loved riding motorcycles, riding horses, playing […]

Donor Family Story: Michelle DeHart

Michelle DeHart loved life and lived life to its full potential. She traveled to many places, and in her last year of life, she was able to visit her favorite destinations with her husband Tim, embark on a cross-country RV road trip with her daughter Samantha, and then help plan and witness her daughter Cassidy’s […]

Wendy and Tim’s Story, Part 2

The following is the second in a two-part story of the special connection between the family of tissue donor, Tim Page, and the recipient of his donated corneal tissue, Wendy Bolling. The following is the second in a two-part story of the special connection between the family of tissue donor, Tim Page, and the recipient […]