Stories of Hope
Will
After losing her brother, Will, Hannah is finding comfort in knowing his decision to become a donor gave others a second chance at life. She shares how his legacy continues to make an impact and why having conversations about organ, eye and tissue donation matters.
“He was everything to so many people,” Hannah said. “He had a lot of friends. He cared deeply about others. He loved snowboarding. He loved his profession. He loved his life. He really lived a full life, and he touched everyone he knew.”
Will was in his early 30s. In his passing, he saved and healed countless lives through tissue donation.
“For him to be able to change people’s lives through donation is so special,” Hannah said. “The fact that people are able to carry a piece of him with them and hopefully have him change their lives, that’s the greatest gift he could continue to give.”
Hannah hopes sharing Will’s story encourages others to have conversations with their loved ones about organ, eye and tissue donation and consider registering as donors themselves. For her family, knowing Will’s legacy lives on through others has brought comfort and reminded them that even during loss, one person’s decision can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Will’s family and friends participated in the 2026 Annual Donor Dash to remember him and honor the legacy he has left behind.
More Stories
Clayton
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 […]
Rita
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 […]
Kelsi
Kelsi was 23 when doctors diagnosed her with adult idiopathic scoliosis and told her she’d eventually lose the ability to walk. Surgery was her only chance to live a normal life and a tissue donor was her best chance at a successful surgery. Her pain was already debilitating, but with a curve that was increasing […]