2016 Shelby Rebekah Seabaugh

Shelby Rebekah Seabaugh_ARORASHELBY REBEKAH SEABAUGH

Tissue and Cornea Donor

Age 21 ~ Magnolia, AR

Donated on 03/28/2014

at Magnolia Regional Medical Center

Honored by arora.org

Shelby Rebekah Seabaugh had an enormous heart and was a woman of immense faith.  As a student at Ouachita Baptist University, Shelby volunteered her time by visiting the on campus health clinic and sitting with patients. She spent her summers volunteering at Camp Siloam inspiring youth. When Shelby passed away she was at the happiest point in her life, because she had spent her last days with those she loved, her family, her fiancé, and her friends. Years before her death, Shelby had made the decision to become a registered donor. She would be proud to know that her corneas and donated tissue were given to improve the lives of many.

Shelby’s Story

Shelby Rebekah Seabaugh was at the happiest point in her life when she passed away. She had come home for Spring Break from Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, Arkansas) and spent special time with her parents, Mike and Laurie, sister, Gracen, and brother, Haydn, before traveling to watch Josh, the love of her life, play college baseball in Lubbock, Texas, with her future mother-in-law, Shelley. The night before her death she had spent celebrating a birthday with grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins.

Life at school was busy and fulfilling with her involvement in classes and many campus activities. Shortly before her death she had led her club of “sisters”, the EEEs, to win the title of “Best in Show” in the highly competitive “Tiger Tunes,” which raises money toward scholarships for fellow students. The campus Health Clinic allowed her compassionate heart to reach out to other students by letting them know that someone cared about them and that they can trust that God had a plan for their lives. She served the two previous summers at Camp Siloam, a Christian camp in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, as a lifeguard, and was the lead in the drama performed for campers each day.

After her death, her family found notes that she had written, but not yet mailed, in her planner intended for campers that Shelby had met while working at the camp. She had continued to regularly write notes of encouragement throughout the school year in spite of her unbelievably busy schedule. Conveying the Love of the Lord to those who crossed her path in life was an obvious priority and she continues to do that even after her death, as her life story has been shared with many who never knew her in life.

Also important to Shelby had been her desire to be an organ and/or tissue donor. Years before, Shelby had made sure that her choice was known on her drivers’ license and that being a donor was truly her desire. She would be proud to know that her corneas and donated tissue were given to improve the lives of others.