Rylan and Landon Ellenberg

Type of Donation:          organs and tissue

Age and Location:          Age 17 – Winterville, GA

Donation Date:             3/16/2020

Sponsor:                   Honored by Bridge to Life with We Are Sharing Hope SC

RYLAN AND LANDON’S STORY

Rylan and Landon, part of a set of triplets, made the most selfless and compassionate decision one can make. They said “YES,” leaving behind legacies that will impact generations to come. They were 17-year-old best friends, book-reading and anime-watching homebodies, and the biggest “people” people you could meet. Landon was on the route to become his class salutatorian or valedictorian, dreaming of becoming a history teacher. Rylan had a passion for working out and carried his sense of humor wherever he went. To know Landon was to know kindness and peace. To know Rylan was to know honesty and virtue.

“We couldn’t have imagined having better sons.” Mark and Thea, the brothers’ parents remember the car accident as if it happened yesterday. Their family was traveling together one night on their way to South Carolina for a family trip in March 2020. The crash, which took the lives of Rylan and Landon, etched the most painful and unforgettable memory into the hearts of their parents, triplet sister Roma and older sister Sienna. While they feel the loss of their boys every waking minute and tears continue to roll down their faces, Rylan and Landon’s family members keep their memories alive and honor the boys by spreading rocks in all the places they travel.

Today, sharing stories about their legacies and allowing people to learn more about who they were, giving and generous individuals, is what Rylan and Landon’s family, friends and community strive to do. Rylan’s decision of “YES” saved the lives of five people and enhanced dozens of others through tissue donation. Although Landon was unable to give in that same capacity, his brave choice to leave that legacy of intent in saying “YES” is being admired during the 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade.