Rachel Nicole Dark

Type of Donation:       organs, tissue and corneas

Age and Location:      Age 24 - Monroeville, AL

Donation Date:           3/01/2017

Sponsor:                      Honored by Legacy of Hope

RACHEL’S STORY

Growing up, Rachel’s life was filled with a variety of interests and activities. She was a cheerleader, played softball and volleyball, tutored math, and she loved to paint and rescue animals. But it was Rachel’s love for the world of academia that would be the driving force for most of her decisions and the direction her life would take. She left home for her last 2 years of high school to attend the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile Alabama, graduating with a 4.0, achieving a dual concentration in mathematics and foreign language. She attended Auburn University on scholarship and graduated magna cum laude majoring in mathematics actuarial science and minoring in statistics.

Rachel loved her teachers and she shared stories of interactions with her professors as often as she talked of her friends. She wore the label of “teacher’s pet” with pride. Rachel had taken her exams for graduate school and was excited by her scores as she anticipated the next step in her education plans. She would not survive her injuries from a car accident to see this realized. Only months before her accident, she had made her decision to be an organ donor known to her mother. In February of 2017, at the age of 24, Rachel Dark saved lives, provided sight, and gave hope to numerous people. Rachel’s liver recipient has become a close family friend and together they share their story to encourage organ donation. Perhaps most fitting for Rachel’s legacy, her heart went to save the life of a college professor.