DONOR STORIES
The gift of organ and tissue donation is an act of quiet heroism offering hope to so many people. The memory of your loved one will forever be treasured. This section of our website is to honor the memories and precious gift of life.
SHARE YOUR STORY
If your loved one was a hero for donation or a recipient and you would like to share their story of hope, please fill out this form to express interest to have you or your loved one's story shared in the form of social media, Good Ad (newspaper PSA), traditional media or any other purposes to further LifeShare's mission.
SHARE YOUR STORY
If your loved one was a hero for donation or a recipient and you would like to share their story of hope, please fill out this form to express interest to have you or your loved one's story shared in the form of social media, Good Ad (newspaper PSA), traditional media or any other purposes to further LifeShare's mission.
GREG PENNA, OKLAHOMA PASTOR, CHURCH PLANTER AND DONOR HERO
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Greg Penna, of Edmond, was known as many things: a loyal husband of 27 years, a father of three, a pastor, a church planting missionary, and an avid Saints fan.
Greg loved his wife, Cindy, and was always supportive, encouraging and caring towards her emotions. Together, they loved their companionship, watching football games and serving their local church together. He and his wife were a dynamic duo while helping church planters and their spouses. A church they helped start had five people and now runs 10,000 people per week. Together, their lives were wrapped around service to God and the local church. |
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ROD, DONOR HERORod, of Oklahoma City, had first met his wife in 1991 during their freshman year at Oklahoma State. They were great friends through college. Sixteen years after they graduated, they reconnected, met again and instantly fell in love. Today, he is remembered as a generous husband and father – but also as a hero.
February 14 is not only Valentine’s day, but also National Donor Day. The celebration is a time to recognize the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Rod, had a passion for life. Specifically, he was passionate about skiing, hiking, cowboying, biking, football – or anything outside. He was a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. He deeply loved his family more than anything.
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SHELBY JOHNSON, DONOR HEROShelby Johnson, of Shawnee, Okla., had a vibrant personality, and her smile and laughter could light up a room. At every opportunity, she gracefully made friends as she genuinely loved and accepted people just as they were. As a good friend would, Shelby put others’ needs above her own. She tried in all her might to make people around her feel included and would go out of her way to lend an ear and be a loving friend.
This compassion spilled over into other areas of Shelby’s life. She served her community consistently, volunteering in her free time at an animal shelter and public library. One of her favorite classes in school was Leadership, and during that class, they would go to the elementary schools to read to younger students. She enjoyed this and it meant a lot to her when students would see her outside of school and recognize her. |
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NATE SMITH, DONOR HERONate Smith, of Edmond, was a wildly athletic 19 year old who loved the great outdoors. He was the life of the party and full of charisma. His bright smile drew people to him.
Growing up, Nate was in foster care and when he was adopted at 13 years old, he considered it to be the best day of his life. He was full of adventure and willing to try almost anything. While watching TV with his family, he saw a gymnast do a back flip and immediately made a comment about wanting to do one. His parents insisted that he should get a lesson because it could be dangerous. Nate was confident he could do it – and everyone walked outside to watch him complete not one, but two backflips on his first try.
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DONNA BURRELL, DONOR HERODonna Burrell is a hero. She was a mother, daughter and sister. She enjoyed going to church, writing stories and even aspired to write a novel about her life.
Her family remembers her huge smile, larger than life sense of humor and her fierce love for her sons. Donna’s mother and sisters remember her joyful spirit at a young age in a fairy-tale like memory of going to the park to catch fireflies and have a picnic. That joyful spirit carried on with her into adult life – and she made a beautiful and fun life for her family.
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MADISON, A LIFE-SAVING HERO AMIDST THE PANDEMIC
LIFESHARE ON RECORD PACE FOR SAVING LIVES IN 2020
Lives Saved Despite National Pandemic Oklahomans are known to be some of the most generous people, and through the pandemic, it has proved no different with LifeShare on a record pace for both the number of organ donors and organs recovered in 2020. LifeShare saw more than 137 become donors since the beginning of the year, which provided 344 organs for transplant. Prior to 2020, our highest activity level for January through August in any given year was in 2019 with 121 donors and 330 organs transplanted. Bobbie Renfrow’s daughter, Madison, was one of those life-saving heroes amidst the pandemic. Madison was eighteen years old and full of life. She was a mother to her one-year-old son and had all kinds of plans for their future together. Madison was crazy, silly and outspoken. Most of all, she was true to herself.
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KOLBY CRUM, DONOR HEROTeen Who Died After Moore Crash Saves Lives Through Organ Donation
Six months later, the community of Moore is still in mourning after six teens on a cross country run were struck by a vehicle driven nearly 80 miles an hour in a school zone last February. Kolby Crum, age 18 of Moore, was one of three who lost their lives. The community of Moore now learns Kolby’s legacy lives on in others through organ donation.
According to his family, Kolby always cared about others. He was never into sports but wanted to be on a team and joined cross country. He liked it – and worked hard to excel. Kolby finished in the top two percent of athletes in the 2019 season. Not only did he work hard – he also ran alongside others to encourage them.
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EVAN SMARTT - A LOVER AND GIVER OF LIFETeen donates organs, saves four lives; restores sight to two others
Earlier this year, staff, family and friends lined the hallways of a local hospital to honor Evan Smartt, a teenager of Edmond, Okla., who made a heroic decision to save lives as an organ and tissue donor.
The honor walk, as it’s called, takes place in a pause between death and life; after brain death has been declared and before organs are recovered to save another’s life. It is a powerful act of community. This solemn and sacred walk to the operating room honors the donor’s final act of heroism. It also gives hope to a grieving family in a moment of fathomless loss. 
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SHARING LIFE AND A LIVER
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REMEMBERING E.J. BOLT
At just 36 years old, E.J., an electrician of Mustang, suffered a fatal aneurysm. When he became an organ donor, he was able to save the lives of five others in need of a lifesaving transplant.
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TULSA WOMAN BECOMES LIVING DONOR AND SAVES STRANGER’S LIFE
In the spirit of the Oklahoma standard and driven to do a kind thing for others, one Tulsa woman became a living donor to someone she did not know to save their life.
In October of 2018, AnnMarie Hayden of Tulsa, had completed several tests and was determined healthy enough to donate a kidney. She knew that she wanted to donate her kidney to a friend, but she was discouraged when she received the call that they were not a compatible match. She went to her office the next day and mentioned to a coworker her experience, and they said to her, “Well, can you give it to someone else?”
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“PISTOL ANNIE” BY ABBEY AHERN
This is the story of an incredible little girl named Annie Ahern. I’m Abbey, Annie’s mom, and Robert is her dad. Annie has two big sisters, Dylan and Harper Lou. Robert and I have known from the beginning of our marriage that we both wanted a large family.
When we found out we were pregnant with our third child we were overjoyed. This pregnancy was so different than the previous two because the kids were so much more involved. Dylan was 4 now, so she really understood what was happening. She was getting a new baby! She told us of all the ways she was excited to help with her new sibling. Harper was only 2, but she fed off of her big sister’s excitement. She tickled and kissed my growing belly every chance she could.
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JOIN LIFESHARE AS THEY ANNOUNCE THE ROSE PARADE HONOREEJoin LifeShare of Oklahoma as they honor Eva Young, of Oklahoma City as their floragraph honoree who will be representing Oklahoma in the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. Eva is the daughter of Royce and Keri Young, of Yukon. The family has garnered national attention with their decision to continue their pregnancy in hopes of offering others life.
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OUR LITTLE KIDNEYIn June 2012, Cynthia saw a post of a single mother in need of a kidney transplant. She responded and begun the paperwork and testing to generously help another person. During the process, the person in need of a kidney had a friend who was a match.
Milton grew up athletic, but one day without warning he started losing weight and dropped 65 pounds very quickly. |
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BRENDON MCLARTY LOVED SPORTSTwo families bonded together by the heart of a teenage baseball player carry on Brendon McLarty’s legacy by embracing what he cared about.
Friends and family of the teen will walk in the Oklahoma City Memorial marathon this year, not only remembering the lives lost in the 1995 bombing, but also to celebrate the life of a young organ donor who passed away in 2012. The recipient of his heart will cheer them on from afar. Brendon McLarty was an all-American 16 year old boy who had a passion for sports. He was a Perry Maroon through and through, and enjoyed playing football and baseball for Perry High School. He played sports with determination, passion and focus – and inspired his fellow teammates to play the best they could. 
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SANDY PEKRUL WOULD ACT ON AN IMPULSE OF KINDNESSSandy Pekrul, of Enid, Okla., had a huge heart – she would act on an impulse of kindness to make sure everyone she cared for knew they were loved by her – and would spoil her friends and family with every chance she had. She could always be found wearing a smile and flashing her beautiful blue eyes.
She enjoyed helping with community events and loved volunteering her time to help others. She loved the church and singing in her church choir every Sunday. Sandy adored her yellow lab puppy, Lucy, and went on walks around the neighborhood often. 
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DYLAN WAS A VERY GIVING PERSONDylan came flying into this world a month earlier than expected on September 15, 1994. He was a calm baby, content to play on his own and watch the world around him. Little did we know that was only the calm before the storm, as soon as his feet hit the floor he was off and running! He barreled through his 22 years, living his life out loud and on his own terms.
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CHILDHOOD FRIEND GIVES WOMAN NEW LEASE ON LIFE WITH DONATION OF KIDNEYChildhood observation and a generous heart saved one Oklahoma woman’s life thirty six years after the two had lost connection.
Belinda Ball, of Tulsa, Okla., was born with a kidney defect and at just three years old, she underwent surgeries to fix them. She grew up with frequent medical problems, including infections. When Belinda was in the third grade, her friend Claudia noticed her struggle. Even at such a young age she wanted to help, and remembered watching Belinda’s struggle throughout her adult life. 
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FATHER AND SON SHARE INSEPARABLE BOND
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SAM'S FINAL TOUCHDOWN
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SUZANNE WHEELER, LIVING DONOR, AND HER DAUGHTER, TIFFANY LADD, KIDNEY RECIPIENTSuzanne, of Tulsa, Okla., was shocked to hear the news that her 21-year-old daughter, Tiffany, a float rider, was in acute kidney failure after she had just given birth to her first child. As Suzanne tried to help her daughter navigate such devastating news, they tackled every doctor’s visit with a positive attitude. When she learned her daughter would need a kidney transplant to survive, Suzanne volunteered her own without hesitation or fear.
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CHRIS, FAN OF THE BOSTON RED SOX AND NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSHe enjoyed fishing and had a passion to pursue welding. Chris often went out of his way to make others smile. He was always thinking of ways to change the world and was able to change the world of two people through organ donation.
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BOB'S FINAL LEGACY WAS THE GIFT OF LIFEBob showed generosity in every area of his life, including volunteering with his local fire department or helping widows with chores around their house. After suffering a heart attack, it was no surprise to Bob’s family that he planned to be generous by having the little red heart on his license. As a final legacy, Bob was able to give life by becoming an organ donor.
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VIC WAS A VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERVic loved the great outdoors and was a great dad to both of his children. He had a big heart and dedicated his life to helping others, including becoming a volunteer fire fighter. After his death, his wife knew he would still try to help someone to this day if he was able – and he did just that by becoming a tissue donor.
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ISAIAH'S SMILE WOULD LIGHT UP A ROOMIsaiah loved the great outdoors and playing his guitar. His infectious personality was warming as he always had a smile on his face that would light up a room and enjoyed making everyone around him laugh. Isaiah was known by his friends and family as loving and caring, and he demonstrated that through his final act of kindness by becoming an organ donor.
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TRISTON'S GIFT OF LIFETwenty-year-old Triston Paris of Caddo, Okla., as compassionate, dependable and cared about small acts of kindness like holding the door open or caring for a young child. He had a smile that could brighten up a room. At first, he might have been considered shy, but he quickly became the center of everyone’s attention.
His family knew they were loved by Triston, and knew it not only through his warm hugs and kind words but also by his actions. He would spend a day fishing at the lake just to surprise his family with a fish fry that evening. He was becoming so great of a cook his friends would often come over and join the family dinner. 
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SHARING A DECISION, SHARING LIFEKarson, of El Reno, Okla., was born a fighter. He and his twin brother, Keller, were born three months premature, weighing only two pounds and 14 ounces, and were in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 72 days. Doctors and specialists warned Brad and Stephenie Baker, the twins’ parents, that the pair would most likely face delays as they grew.
By nine months old, Karson was determined to catch up with the development of other babies his age. His brother, Keller, was also a fighter but did not overcome his premature birth without a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. 
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STACY HADLEY, SHE LOVED THE GREAT OUTDOORSStacy Hadley grew up an athlete. A team mentality was instilled in her as she played softball and basketball in her teenage years. She worked for the good of the team both in athletics as well as her everyday life.
Stacy enjoyed spending time on the lake with her friends and family. Often, you would catch her skiing and wakeboarding behind a boat and soaking in the rays of the summer sun. She willingly helped when her hand was needed on her father’s ranch. Feeding and moving animals as well as appreciating the great outdoors was a part of her routine. She enjoyed riding the horses, especially her own horse. |
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FAYE MILLER, LOVING MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHERFaye was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother. She loved to laugh and always had a sparkle in her eye. Faye spent many years of her life delivering emergency communications to the members of the Armed Forces. Generosity wasa part of her life, so it was no surprise she was a registered organ donor.
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JOHN ZEIGLER AND ROB PITTMAN, FRIENDS SINCE MID-HIGH
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“Rob and I have been friends since Mid High and High School at Edmond Memorial. There are about 5 or 6 of us that make up a core group that have remained close all these years. When I got my driver’s license I checked the box to become a donor, but I didn’t think much about it until Rob told me his kidneys were failing.” - John
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MICHAEL CONTWAY, LOVED FISHINGMichael was a country boy through and through. Our son wore his Wrangler jeans everywhere, and loved to go fishing anywhere he could get a hook in the water. He enjoyed basketball and baseball, but for him it was more about being with friends.
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PATRICK FRIAR, A MIGHTY YOUNG MAN AT THE AGE OF 20
Our son, Patrick, was a caring and compassionate young man. He loved to fish and hunt, enjoyed construction work and was considering a career in graphic design. Patrick smoked ribs and grilled steaks outdoors and liked to cook for us. We were thrilled when he fell in love with a very special young lady.
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MCKAYA LEDFORD, FULL OF GLITTER AND GIGGLESMcKaya was a little firecracker. She was joy, humor and laughter. She was the most wonderful daughter and little sister to her two big brothers. LifeShare was a huge source of comfort for our family during and after McKaya’s accident.
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DAKOTA WILSON, SUPERHERODakota was a fearless, outgoing boy who enjoyed cracking jokes and being the center of attention. His goal in life was to become a veterinarian so that he could rescue animals. He had a love for superheroes, especially the Hulk, and enjoyed collecting rare Marvel action figures. Dakota, a hero himself, saved several lives through the gift of organ donation.
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ELLIS MARTIN, A LOVING AND GIVING MANEllis lived a full life. He fished, hunted, played golf, taught science, was a chess instructor and did taxes for his friends free of charge. He was a Christian and a great husband, father, son and brother. My brother Ellis and I grew up together and were best friends. We talked to each other almost every day on the phone. His death was a shock to all who knew and loved him. Being such a loving and giving person, it stood to reason that he would continue that legacy in death. God blessed our family with Ellis and he continues to bless us through the man he saved.
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JULIE MOUSE, LOVED TO BAKE
Julie Mouse had a passion for her family and enjoyed every moment she could with them. She enjoyed spending time outside, swimming, giggling and telling stories around a campfire. Julie loved to bake treats for her friends and family and cherished activities with her church.
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CHERYL AND STEPHANIE
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CODY WAS A HERO TO MANYCody was a thoughtful and kind young man. When he applied for his driver’s license, he and his mother talked about the significance of being an organ donor. He knew the importance of donation because a donated kidney saved the life of his grandmother 20 years earlier.
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FAMILY, FRIENDS WALK OKLAHOMA CITY MEMORIAL MARATHON TO HONOR TEEN WHO DONATED HIS ORGANS TO LOCAL MANTwo families bonded together by the heart of a teenage baseball player carry on Brendon McLarty’s legacy by embracing what he cared about.
Friends and family of the teen will walk in the Oklahoma City Memorial marathon this year, not only remembering the lives lost in the 1995 bombing, but also to celebrate the life of a young organ donor who passed away in 2012. The recipient of his heart will cheer them on from afar. |
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82-YEAR OLD ORGAN DONOR PROVES THAT AGE IS NO BARRIER TO GIVING THE GIFT OF LIFEPaul Castner gave the gift of life at age 82 so that someone else could live. In turn, he also gave his family the gift of healing.
When many don’t think they have much left to give after living a long and healthy life, Castner of Mangum, Okla., donated his organs. “Organ donation doesn’t have a specific face. I never thought my 82-year old father would be a face of organ donation,” Eric Castner said. 
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HANCE GAVE THE GIFT OF SIGHTWhether Hance was skydiving in Tulsa, Okla., or longboarding down a hill in Salt Lake City, Utah, he had a zest for adventure! Growing up, he was very active and constantly on the go, his family remembers Hance having more spirit in his life than his body could contain.
Hance loved the great outdoors and had an unforgettable spirit. Through pursuing some of his favorite activities like rock climbing, camping, scuba diving, biking and running he saw some of the most beautiful wonders of the world. 
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MARIEE MENA, DONOR HERO
Mariee was a star softball player at the University of Oklahoma and was full of life. She was the daughter of two very proud parents, a loving sister, a caring cousin – and she greatly cared about her friends and family.
Mariee was dedicated in everything she set forth in. As a child with plenty of energy and as a part of a family who enjoyed sports, her family put her in softball. 
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REMEMBERING JAYCEJayce lived his dreams by riding a 1,300-pound bull for eight seconds and seeing his beloved Yankees play ball in New York. He played three sports in 6th grade and pounded the drums in the Wewoka School band for two years.
Paige Sheffield-Sherry, Jayce’s mom, knew that after he was involved in a four-wheeler accident, he would want nothing more than to fulfill dreams for others through organ donation. She has fond memories of her son and misses him greatly. 
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COWBOY TED“I’m just a good ol’ southern boy . . . I love my family and God . . . I like to hang out with my friends . . . I like ridin’ horses, fishing, camping, pretty much anything outdoors . . . I like being at the family ranch, helping run it and workin’ cattle. I’m currently a student at Oklahoma State University and I’m majoring in Animal Science.” This is what Ted wrote about himself in his Facebook bio.
Ted’s Facebook page has been filled with comments from his friends nearly every single day in the year since his death. They miss his bear hugs, they miss his talks, his heart of gold, his good ol’ advice, his two-step, his smile, the list just goes on and on. Ted brought joy to everyone around him. He was a much-loved young Cowboy – both an OSU Cowboy and a 'real' cowboy. 
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BRENT BEAIRD
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GARY ALLEN PICKENS, JR.,
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KELLEY CHASE, DONOR HEROA Hero In So Many WaysKelley Chase was an all-American guy. At a young age, he requested to attend the New Mexico Military Institute so he could follow in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a B17 pilot. It is very difficult to get accepted into this prestigious institute, but Kelley was a great student and became a very active member of the school. Besides participating in the band, he joined a ski club as an extracurricular activity. Kelley was the person everyone wanted to be friends with and when he made friends those people would become his lifelong friends.
Kelley was very committed to his goals and graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1992. |
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AIDAN JAMES HOOPER,
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KITTRICK D. JOHNSON, JR.,
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GNANAWATHIE ALUTHGEDARA,
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