By Iesha Brown

I never thought organ donation would be a part of my family’s story, but then my daughter Makayla, our KK, changed everything.

KK was born with congenital heart disease. By age two, she was in heart failure, and our lives became a waiting game, one that lasted 470 long days. As time passed, I watched our shy little girl make friends with hospital nurses and grow braver every day, but I also watched her condition worsen.

In January 2025, KK received a Berlin Heart, a device that kept her alive while we waited for a miracle. That miracle finally came in a phone call that told us a donor heart was available and it was a perfect match. I’ve never felt so happy, joyful and grateful.

But I also knew that the heart came from another child. Another family, who in a time of unimaginable grief, made the selfless decision that saved my daughter’s life. Because of that family, KK is laughing, playing and living the childhood she almost didn’t have. There are not enough words to thank the members of that family for their decision.

Organ donation is the reason my daughter is alive. It’s the biggest blessing our family could have received. I am now a registered organ donor. I wasn’t before, and I regret that hesitation. When you’ve sat where I’ve sat, waiting, hoping and praying, you understand what that decision truly means. It means more birthdays, more laughter and more hugs.

Across the country, more than 100,000 people are waiting on an organ donation, and someone new is added to the national transplant list every few minutes, according to Donate Life America, which also notes more than 5,000 people die each year awaiting a transplant.

KK is four now. She loves Dora the Explorer and Elsa from Frozen. She loves playing at the beach and spending time with her siblings. Our shy little girl has transformed into a social butterfly, who takes care of her baby dolls and wants to be a nurse when she grows up. If it weren’t for the selfless decision of her donor’s family, that wouldn’t be a possibility.

As we honor Donate Life Month, I ask you to think about families like mine and register as a donor. One decision can save or improve the lives of so many families across South Carolina.

You can register to become a donor at a DMV location across the state or at sharinghopesc.org.

Iesha Brown is a mother of two sons and three daughters, including Makayla, or KK. She lives in Anderson.

Read the full article at postandcourier.com.