Melissa had a smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms. She exuded happiness and was rarely without a smile. One night a news story about brain death inspired her to ask what it meant. "The conversation ended with her saying, 'Well, if that ever happens to me, HELL yes, use them again.'" Recalled her mother Barbara. "Never did I imagine that I would ever need that information," especially when she was only 14. In the wake of the accident that took her life, "To know that she was able to donate kidneys to two individuals and bone to many others has helped us cope with her loss," said Barbara.

Melissa's Story

Melissa had a smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms. She exuded happiness and was rarely without a smile. She was a fierce friend who was not afraid to stand up for others and willing to help those who were having a bad day, turning their frowns into smiles. Always going and doing, she was not afraid to try something new and different. She was also a great big sister and wonderful daughter. She was not necessarily always angelic; she could be a little devil, but of course, all in fun and never hurting anyone. Someone described her as being "fluent in sarcasm." She was, after all, a teenager.

Melissa had a lust for life that was contagious. "I think in part that is what led to the decision to donate her organs," said her mother Barbara. "We had been preparing dinner one night several months prior and a news story caught her attention. It had to do with someone who was brain dead. She asked some questions about what it all meant. Thirty minutes later, the conversation ended with her saying, 'Well, if that ever happens to me, HELL yes, use them again.' Never did I imagine that I would ever need that information."

The night of her accident, April 21, 2006, is still a blur to Melissa's family: the phone call that every parent dreads, the race to the hospital that is barely remembered, then relaying the conversation about donation to her doctors. "I remember clearly the expressions on their faces as we told them of her wishes," recalled Barbara. "'How would you know that about a 14-year-old?' they asked. They were beyond words but ever so grateful that she was a donor."

As a preoperative nurse, Barbara had cared for numerous patients undergoing kidney transplants, and thus knew the impact transplantation could have from their perspective. Having that knowledge was helpful as Melissa's family themselves faced the opportunity to donate.

"To know that she was able to donate kidneys to two individuals and bone to many others has helped us cope with her loss," said Barbara. "Part of her continues on in those individuals, affecting not only their lives but those of the people who love and care for them. One recipient received her kidney at the very institution at which I work. The nurses and doctors involved said that was the most inspirational and meaningful surgery they had ever performed. Learning that my daughter was able to impact the lives of my co-workers touched and still touches me beyond belief."

Melissa had a soft spot for babies. On Sundays at church, she would always see who was volunteering in the nursery and offer a helping hand. On Sept. 17, 2011, at the dedication of a newly remodeled nursery, St. Thomas UCC dedicated the room to her memory. Those who volunteer in the nursery now tell me that they think of her constantly while there and miss her smile coming through the door. Perhaps her family misses her a great deal more, but knowing that her gifts of life go on gives them comfort today and many more to come.