Family Of Organ Transplant Recipient Donates To Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center For Liver Research

Family Honors Young Transplant Recipient With Memorial Bench, Donation To liver Research

USA: Friends and family have dedicated a permanent bench at a Buc-ee’s store and launched a fundraiser in memory of a 28-year-old transplant recipient who received multiple life-saving organs. The memorial honors the young woman’s love for the roadside stop and channels grieving into support for Cincinnati children’s Hospital Medical Center’s liver research.

She first became seriously ill after a bout of mononucleosis in high school left her liver compromised. In 2020 she received a combined liver and kidney transplant — a second chance that allowed her to finish college and become an advocate for others navigating hospital life and transplantation. Her family credits organ procurement and transplantation with giving her years of fuller life.

Earlier this year an infection took a sudden turn and she passed away; in the months since, donations poured in from friends, customers who knew her favorite ice-cream order, and community members. Those funds are being directed to support liver research, including efforts to treat liver cancer, and to a GoFundMe organized by her circle to sustain that work.

Her mother, Andrea, and others say they will keep coming to the bench to remember her and to spread the message she cared about most: the importance of organ donation and transplantation. The family hopes the memorial and donations will help other patients facing the same battles.

Video originally published on 2026-04-22 18:24:22