Amy-Donor Mom
On the morning of August 29th 2020 I got a phone call asking me if I had a daughter named Taylor Smith and if there was any way of me identifying her to make sure that it was her. That message itself ignited the terrifying question of “what on earth could be wrong with my child?”
Taylor was in a terrible car accident. The officer told me she was unresponsive so I screamed to her sister to get the car packed; we were headed to Lexington. On our way, I called the hospital. I knew it was time for Taylor to have arrived at the hospital.
The staff was very nice and caring once I got to the hospital. The chaplain asked me if I had anyone to go with me to see my daughter. My 18-year-old daughter, just a baby, scared me to death. I walked into the room and I saw my baby girl laying in the hospital bed lifeless I.
I walked up to her and grabbed her hand. Her eyes were barely opened. I could tell my baby girl had been gone for a while. I was devastated. Two neurosurgeons came in to do brain death testing. There was no response. Imagine watching your baby girl lay there and go through all of that.
I knew it was time to let her go. She was finally at peace within herself so her father and I chose to let her be an organ donor to give her gifts of life to two other people who were fighting for their lives. This made me feel better in a sense; that she was living on in other people; that she saved lives.
It means something to me that she did this, and I pray that one of these days I can meet the people my daughter has helped. I want to thank Andreas price for everything he has done to accommodate my family. He has been an angel sent from Heaven to help, not only the people needing The Gift of Life but also the families giving those gifts. I’m forever grateful to him and the KODA staff for everything they have done for us. I pray for the people who received Taylor’s gifts to have a very long life. She left us too soon, but she will never be forgotten. Thank you, KODA for everything you have done for our family.