Leaving a Legacy through Lifeshare

We don't remember when Marissa first became aware of the "little red heart" on our driver's licenses, but as she began her driving lessons we had a conversation about the heart representing a driver's decision to be an organ donor. The conversation was short and nothing was really said beyond that. When Marissa went to take her driving test and get her license, she came home and was excited to show us that she too had chosen to be an organ donor. She was so proud of her decision as it was her first personal "adult" decision and it was in line with her values of giving generously and loving others.

When she was in the trauma ICU following the news that she would not recover from the brain damage the collision had caused, a very kind representative from Life Share Oklahoma appeared and reminded us of Marissa's decision. Honestly, this was such a relief to us because we had been told that we would have to decide when to discontinue life support & that is an excruciating decision to face. The fact that Marissa's wishes were known and all we had to do was honor them provided a sense of relief and comfort at a time when those feelings were hard to find. For anyone considering becoming an organ donor, we encourage you to visit www.lifeshareoklahoma.org or call (405) 840-5551 or 888-580-5680 to speak to someone who can answer any questions you may have.

As a donor's family, we'd like any recipients who may come across this page to know that we are very proud of Marissa's decision and are so glad that her organ recipients may now have years to spend with their loved ones and to make a difference in this world because of her. We want recipients to know that we believe most donor families feel as we do, that we want to know you're doing well and living a great life with the gift our loved one gave.

Lastly, we were honored when LifeShare Oklahoma chose to use Marissa's story to encourage organ donation during April 2023 for "Donate Life" month. You can read their press release, see any articles highlighting her Life Share story, and any video/media related to the Donate Life campaign below.