Today I had one of those moments that completely caught me off guard and reminded me that Kenzie’s story is still reaching people in ways we may never even know. ❤️
I was at the dental office checking out when the receptionist noticed the necklace I wear every single day. It was given to me by Kenzie’s friend Savannah at her funeral, and I haven't taken it off since.
She asked me about it, and I told her that it was for my daughter, Makenzie, who passed away in 2020 while waiting for a heart and kidney transplant.
She told me how sorry she was and then said, “She is beautiful. How old was she?”
I told her, “14.”
Then she paused and said, “Wait… are you the family that does the lemonade stand every year in her name?”
I said, “Yes, that’s us.” ❤️
I asked how she had heard about it, and she told me she had seen an article about our lemonade stand and that she loves what we do to honor Kenzie.
In that moment, my heart just stopped.
Six years. It has been six years since we lost our beautiful girl. For the past six years, we have continued the lemonade stand in her honor, sharing her story and trying to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation. Sometimes I wonder how far her story really reaches or whether what we do makes a difference.
And then, out of nowhere, God gives me a moment like this.
A stranger recognized Kenzie.
She knew about our lemonade stand. She knew that we do it to honor our daughter. And she was touched by it.
If in these past six years, Kenzie’s story has made even one person think differently about organ donation… if one person has signed up to become an organ donor, talked to their family about their wishes, or one day says yes to giving the gift of life because they remembered her story, then we are doing exactly what Kenzie would have wanted us to do.
Kenzie was so passionate about organ donation. She wanted more than anything to receive the gift of life, and I truly believe she would want her story to continue helping others.
I may never know how many lives her story has touched. I may never know how many people have heard her name, read about her journey, or changed their mind because of her.
But today, I got a little glimpse.
And it meant more to me than she will ever know. 🩵
Thank you to everyone who has supported our lemonade stand, shared Kenzie’s story, donated, volunteered, or simply helped keep her memory alive. You are helping her continue to make a difference.
My beautiful Makenzie… six years later, and you are still touching hearts. You are still being remembered. You are still making a difference.
And that will always make this mama so incredibly proud. ❤️🍋🩵
