This is the Web for the whole special: This April, during Donate Life Month, FOX 13 takes you inside the deeply personal journeys of Utah families whose lives have been forever changed by organ donation. From the driver's license division where most people first encounter the choice, to hospital rooms where miracles unfold, these are the faces and voices that make organ donation real.
People like Candice Thompson. In 2022, Candice was hiking with her family when tragedy struck. The Richfield wife and mother lost her life when a cliffside gave way. But even in devastating loss, her decision to check "yes" on her driver's license years earlier became a gift that would save others.
"We're glad that she has been able to help other people that needed maybe something small, something significant, to help them in their life," said her husband, Colton Thompson.
Now, a tribute plaque at the very driver's license division where Candice once worked honors her memory and reminds others of the impact one decision can make.
Stories like those of Utah adventurer Dave Ashley has set a new standard for what's possible, using his own gift of hope to raise awareness about organ donation while conquering the great outdoors that thousands of Utahns call home.
And stories of hope through sacrifice. At just 18, Jordyn Wilson had her whole life ahead of her. The BYU-Idaho student with a 4.0 GPA was engaged to be married when a rare blood clotting condition took her life just days before her wedding. Her parents' decision to donate her organs became other families' miracles.
"Every opportunity we have to tell Jordyn's story, we bring up the people who cared for her," said her parents, Don and Tracy Wilson. "Through this tragedy, the silver linings are there."
Join FOX 13's Spencer Joseph for this compelling look at organ donation in Utah, featuring partnerships with Donor Connect and the real families whose courage in the face of loss continues to save lives today.
For more information about organ donation in Utah, visit www.donorconnect.life