Alyssa Kennedy Potratz

Cornea donor

Age 9

Donated on 07/04/2008

Honored by OneLegacy

As a 9-year-old girl, Alyssa Kennedy Potratz was known by her friends and family as a quirky, caring, fun loving little girl with an infectious smile. She loved to play with her twin brother Jeremy. She also had a passion for poetry, coloring, playing soccer and piano, eating sushi, and just being silly. Her favorite activity was Girl Scouts. She enjoyed spending time with her troop, doing crafts, singing the Friendship song, and going on campouts. When she wasn’t fishing at her family’s cottage in Wisconsin, she loved to travel with her mom, dad, and Jeremy.

On July 4th, 2008, Alyssa suddenly passed away from an undiagnosed heart issue. To honor Alyssa’s spirit of giving, her parents decided to donate her tissues, allowing two people to gain the gift of sight.

Alyssa’s Story

As a 9-year-old girl, Alyssa Kennedy Potratz was known by her friends and family as a quirky, caring, fun loving little girl with an infectious smile. Alyssa loved to play with her twin brother Jeremy. They were always setting up “little people” games throughout the house. She loved playing with her American Girl Dolls and Polly Pockets. Alyssa had a passion for poetry, coloring, playing soccer and piano, eating sushi, and just being silly. Her favorite activity was Girl Scouts. She enjoyed spending time with the girls in her troop, doing crafts, singing the Friendship song, and going on campouts. She was such a caring little girl always ready to help a friend or give a “two-armed squeeze me” hug to anyone who needed it. She was also a silly, fun loving girl who could make you laugh and feel lighthearted when you needed it most. When she wasn’t fishing at her family’s cottage in Wisconsin, she loved to travel with her mom, dad, and Jeremy. She was fortunate to visit family around the country including the Black Hills, Maryland, California, and Cape Cod. The Cape was her favorite destination as she was able to visit her Gran and Granddad, while being able to eat ice cream during the day and lobster for dinner at night.

On July 4th, 2008, Alyssa suddenly and unexpectedly passed away from an undiagnosed heart issue. In the spirit of Alyssa’s selfless and caring character, she became a donor that allowed two individuals to be the recipients of her corneas. As a 9-year-old friend said at the time of Alyssa’s death, we “thank God that we knew her,” and now her legacy lives with these two recipients.