Susan Giess's 22-year-old daughter Mandy's short life ended in August 2003, following a motor vehicle accident near her home in Palmetto, Ga., a community south of Atlanta. Susan is especially pleased that more than 40 recipients in 11 states benefited from her daughter’s gift.

Susan and Mandy's Story

Susan Giess knows that her daughter Amanda was special, both in life and after her death. Mandy died in August 2003, following a car accident near her home in Palmetto, GA, a community south of Atlanta. Aware of her daughter’s wishes to be an organ and tissue donor, Susan readily agreed when the request was made on that August day.

Caring and compassionate for all beings, 22-year-old Mandy had planned to become a counselor or psychologist. The Giess house was also home to Mandy’s menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, rats, lizards, fish and even a spider. “If there was an abandoned animal, she found it and brought it home to care for it,” says Susan.

The year before she died, Mandy’s interest in helping others led her to create “Stockings for Love” to provide homeless people with food, apparel and personal items during the holiday season. That first year, Susan and Mandy set aside $20 each payday to buy toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, bandages, cough drops, fruit, cookies, hats and gloves to fill stockings which were distributed to homeless people who frequented an Atlanta shopping area.

The experience moved Mandy to tears, as she told Susan, “Mom, I did this to help them, but I think it did as much for me as it did them.”

“It made me feel good that she wanted to do this herself,” says Susan, who decided the fledgling program had to continue after Mandy died. “I’m very proud of the way she turned out and how she cared about other people.”

When Susan organized “Stockings for Love” in 2004, it was with the help of RTI Donor Services, the organization that facilitated Mandy’s tissue donation. With Susan’s passion and determination to keep the program going, it has grown each year.

Susan is also a champion of organ and tissue donation. She feels good about her decision, and is equally as enthusiastic about RTI Donor Services. “I was amazed at how compassionate and supportive they’ve been,” says Susan. “The whole group has been just phenomenal.”

Susan shares donation information with members of her church, as well as with colleagues at Paychex, the payroll service company where she is a senior payroll specialist.

Susan is especially pleased that more than 40 recipients in 11 states have benefited from her daughter’s gift. “Mandy would have liked that.”