Two of the best days of my life were when I gave birth to my boys. The amount of love I felt for them from the first time I laid eyes on them was indescribable, yet something I tell each and every soon-to-be mom I come across.
When I hold my children in my arms for the first, tenth, or one-thousandth time, I don’t ever think about what life would be like without them. I just think about all of the amazing memories we are going to make together.
Pediatric organ donation never crossed my mind, until I learned about the Lane Thomas Foundation.
How the Lane Thomas Foundation Came to Be
Matt and Melissa Graves created the Lane Thomas Foundation as a “beacon of hope and to create a strong base of support for families in crisis.” Their son, Lane Thomas (who always called himself by his first and middle name”, passed away unexpectedly when he was 2 years old.
In the times of distraught sadness that followed their son’s passing, Matt and Melissa decided they wanted to do something in appreciation for all of the help and support they received in their time of need.
The Foundation is dedicated to supporting families of children needing life-saving transplants.
How You Can Help
There are 2,000 children in the United States alone that are waiting for an organ. One donor can potentially save 8 lives. (111 children died in 2017 alone waiting for their organ donation.)
Here are a few things you can do to make a difference.
Take Lane’s Light Pledge
Join Melissa and Matt in taking the pledge to educate others about the dire need for pediatric organ donations.
Donate
By donating, even $10, you can help provide assistance to support the families of children undergoing solid organ transplants, allowing the parents to focus more on their family than the financial situation.
Educate
Help improve public awareness and understanding of increased organ donation to ultimately save children’s lives.
The Lane Thomas Foundation covers non-medical expenses during the afflicted family’s transplant journey.
The Graves know what it’s like to go through a very traumatic experience. They want to provide resources so that the parents can focus solely on their child and keep the family together.
Currently the Foundation supports families from across the United States coming to Omaha, Nebraska through their partnerships with Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.
It’s a sad reality, but by educating the public and supporting the Lane Thomas Foundation, we can do our part to help those 2,000 children receive the needed organs.
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