Beth and Larry Sparks will always remember their son Clayton as kindhearted, full of life, and the kind of person who made everyone feel like they belonged.

In 2019, Clayton died at just 24 years old. Before his death, he made the decision to be an organ donor. That decision now lives on in multiple lives.

Jay carries Clayton’s heart. He met Beth and Larry for the first time during the 2026 Transplant Games. Jay shared that he cannot find the words to describe the gratitude he feels for his donor, or what it meant to sit with the family who gave him a second chance at life. Reid received a liver transplant from Clayton, a gift that gave him new life. He and his wife Abby have stayed closely connected to the Sparks family ever since, grounded in deep gratitude for the young man who made their future possible. Abby has also shared his story through her children’s book, “Clayton Sparks Leaves His Mark,” helping carry his legacy forward in a way the next generation can understand.

What began with loss has become connection. Jay, Reid, Abby, and the Sparks family continue to come together in moments that honor Clayton and the life he made possible for others.

Rita believed that generosity was a way of life. “I am always blessed to receive because I am always willing to give,” she would often say. When Rita passed away in 2023, her daughter, Elita, found solace in those very words. Knowing her mother had chosen to be an organ donor helped shift her focus from what was being lost to what was being given. That perspective became a source of deep pride and healing.

But for Elita and her family, donation was never just a single moment, it was a thread woven throughout their entire lives. Elita’s son was born with significant medical challenges and received his first kidney transplant at just 3 years old. Now 22 and thriving, he is living proof of the kindness of strangers. Elita’s husband is also a cornea recipient whose world was quite literally brightened by someone else’s selfless decision.

Touched by donation three times over, Elita and her family know better than most that you never truly know who around you has been lifted up, healed, or given more time because someone chose to give the gift of life.