April is Donate Life month. As someone who has been the recipient of donor tissue (hello, heart surgery!), clearly it’s something I support. But I want to tell you about my friend Katie. For 10 years, she worked for the Iowa Lions Eye Bank. For her, eye, tissue and organ donation is more than a job. It’s more than her passion. It’s personal.

Katie grew up with 2 big brothers. She had a best friend that she shared a lot with; including her name. Katie’s best friend, Katie, married Katie’s brother, John. Almost sounds like a fairy tale, right? For the first year, things were good. Really good. For John and Katie’s one year anniversary, they would be celebrating at Lake Okoboji with family and friends. It was going to be a fun weekend making more memories.

Except that never happened.

John and Katie never made it. On the way there, they were both killed in a tragic car accident.

Please watch the video to hear my friend share more about her brother and best friend and the heartbreaking story that is theirs. After that, I urge you to consider becoming a registered organ and tissue donor. Do it in memory of John and Katie, do it in memory of other loved ones you lost too soon… you can give the gift of life.

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Alissa Kay

Alissa was born and raised in the Midwest and currently calls Wisconsin home. She's happily married to her college sweetheart and she's living out her dreams of being a stay-at-home mom. Although, let's be real, she's hardly ever home. She's the mom to 3 kids who all came to her via adoption. A boy (8) and 2 girls (6 and almost 4!). The kids keep her plenty busy, but when she has free time she enjoys a night out with friends or curling up with a good book.

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