Rylan and Landon Ellenberg

Donor Heroes

Rylan and Landon, part of a set of triplets, 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 track 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,” shared Mark and Thea, the boy’s parents.  

Their family was traveling together one night on their way to South Carolina for a family trip in March of 2022 when they got into a horrible car accident. The crash, which took the lives of Rylan and Landon, etched the most painful and unforgettable memories into the hearts of their parents, triplet sister Roma and older sister Sienna.  

While they still feel the loss of their boys every waking minute, Rylan and Landon’s family keep their memories alive and honor the boys by spreading painted rocks in all the places they travel. Rylan’s decision to say “yes” saved the lives of five people and enhanced the lives of dozens more through tissue donation. Although Landon was unable to give in that same capacity, his brave choice to leave that legacy of intent by saying “yes” was admired during the 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade. Both boys are heroes whose legacies will live on for generations to come.