India Phillips was a spunky, kind, compassionate four-year-old. Upon meeting a new friend, she often gave them her toy as a parting gift. When she died suddenly on Nov. 2, 2011 from Group A strep, India's parents knew that she would have wanted to donate her organs. Later, many people told India's family about ways she had made their child feel welcome. In response, India's pre-school teacher wrote a children's book, "The Friendship Fairy," to recognize India's compassionate and generous spirit. To honor India, her family created a foundation to continue her generous acts and her mission to make everyone feel loved and included.

India's Story

India Kimberly Phillips was a spunky, kind, compassionate four-year-old child with a great sense of style. "There were many times when we would go to a park or a playground and she would meet a new friend. When it was time to go, she usually gave her new friend her toy they had been playing with. "We were always saying, 'are you sure you want to give away your toy?'" said her mother, Kim Phillips. "She never hesitated."

India was happy and seemingly healthy, but leg pain and a fever on Halloween 2011 prompted a trip to the hospital. On the way to having an MRI, her heart stopped beating. She was revived, but 36 hours later she died from Group A Strep.

Her devastated parents were in shock, but consented to organ donation because they wanted to help other parents avoid the heartache they were experiencing. When we were asked if we wished to donate India's organs, we knew it would be what she wanted," Kim remembered. "She no longer needed her organs. Why not donate and give to others?"

After India's funeral services, many people told her family stories of how India had made their child feel welcome or stood up for them when they were being teased. Knowing this, her pre-school teacher wrote the children's book, "The Friendship Fairy," to recognize and remember India's compassionate and generous spirit.

India reached out to people in life and after death. She gave her kidneys to a woman she never met. Her eyes and all other organs went to research to help find new ways to treat and cure diseases. "The pain of losing her is beyond imagination. It comforts us to know that India's organ donation changed peoples' lives," said Kim.

The Phillips family created a foundation to honor India and continue her generous acts. Through the foundation, they have befriended children at a local homeless shelter with holiday parties and gifts and supplied new wheelchairs to children and adults in the U.S. and abroad. Team India is a group that runs in her honor and raises funds for these projects. They always gives half of the funds raised to Donate Life.

Her mother summed up: "Ultimately, we hope to inspire each other and those we help to continue India's compassionate mission of making everyone feel loved and included."