DECISIONS ALEXIS: WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT KAYLIE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
WHAT WE KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT IS THAT SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP OTHERS AND SAVE LIVES.
>> ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS SAVE LIVES.
ALEXIS: THE PEOPLE IN THIS HOSPITAL ARE HERE TO HELP.
>> IT IS HAPPENING AROUND THE CLOCK.
ALEXIS: IT STARTED WITH THIS CRASH INVOLVING FOUR MONROE TEENS HEADED TO PROM.
>> I BLACKED OUT.
WHEN I CAME TOO I WAS LIKE SHOCKE IT WAS OUR WORST NIGHTMARE.
>> I BROKE THE NEWS TO EVERYBODY.
WALKING INTO A ROOM LIKE THAT WITH ALL THE TUBES, AND MONITORS AND BEEPS AND I WAS TRYING TO PREPAR ALEXIS: KAYLIE WAS TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM GRADUATING, PLANNING
TO GO TO OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY TO FULFILL HER DREAM OF BECOMING A SURGEON.
>> THEY CAME RUNNING UP TO US.
WE TOOK PICTURES, BUT I GUESS THEY WERE RUNNING LATE TO DINNER.
>> SHE LOVED PROM.
SHE WAS HYPED FOR PROM.
ALEXIS: KAYLIE AND HER FRIENDS NEVER MADE IT TO PROM.
SHE WAS THROWN OUT OF THE BACK SEAT OF THIS 2013 TESLA.
THE DRIVER AND THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS IN THE CAR WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL.
>> SHE IS MY GIRL.
SHE IS MY GIRL.
ALEXIS: THIS MARKED THE BEGINNING OF ONE OF THE TOUGHEST DECISIONS KAYLIE’S FAMILY WOULD EVER MAKE.
IT HAS BEEN 72 HOURS ALMOST, TO THE T.
ALEXIS: KAYLIE WAS UNRESPONSIVE.
>> SHE IS GONE.
SO I AM TRYING TO PUT MY MIND AROUND THAT AND KNOW THAT WHAT IS GOING ON.
SHE IS NOT THERE, IT IS JUST HER BODY >> THAT CAN BE SOMETIMES CONFUSING FOR FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY ARE TOLD THEIR LOVED ON PASSED AWAY, HOWEVER THEIR LOVED
ONE IS IN AN ICU ROOM ON A VENALATOR, THEY ARE PINK, THEY ARE WARM, THEIR HEART BEAT CAN BE SEEN ON TOP A SCREEN.
ALEXIS: AT 17, KAYLIE WAS ADAMANT ABOUT BEING AN ORGAN DONOR.
>> WE KIND OF KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN’T REALLY WANT TO HEAR IT.
SHE IS GOING TO SAVE A LOT OF LIVES.
UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED.
ALEXIS: HER GRANDFATHER HAD TWO KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS, GIFTING HER FAMILY 13 MORE YEARS WITH HIM.
>> WHEN MY FATHER RECEIVED HIS TRANSPLANTS IT WAS HARD FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
YET WE APPRECIATED EVERY SECOND AND ALL THE TIME WE HAD WITH HIM.
ALEXIS: ONCE KAYLIE’S FAMILY CAME TO GRIPS WITH HER DECISIO TO SAVE OTHERS, THE CLOCK STARTED.
>> IT IS USUALLY ABOUT 24 TO 36 HOURS OF COORDINATION OF EFFORTS.
ALEXIS: THE GUT WRENCHING DECISION OF WHO WILL GET KAYLIE’S GIFTS RESTS WITH THIS MA DR. SHIMUL SHAH IS CHIEF OF TRANSPLANTATION AND A MEDICAL
DIRECTOR FOR LIFE CENTER, TEAMS IMMEDIATELY START TO REVIEW DONOR HISTORY, SEND OFF BLOOD TESTS AND CHECK FOR ANY INFECTIOUS DISEASES THAT COULD BE PASSED TO THE RECIPIENT.
>> I GET THE ORGAN OFFER THEN WE HAVE TO DECIDE IS AN ORGAN SUITABLE FOR THE RECIPIENT.
IT IS A WHOLE TEAM.
AT THE END, I MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.
ALEXIS: SHAH SAYS A HEALTHY DONOR CAN SAVE UP TO 12 LIVES.
AS TEAMS CONTINUED TO FIND OUT WHAT KAYLIE COULD GIVE AND WHERE HER GIFTS WOULD GO.
>> TIRED.
SAD, HAPPY.
ALEXIS: HER FAMILY RECIEVED UPDATE AFTER UPDATE.
>> I WOULD SAY AT PEACE NOW.
KNOWING THE OUTCOME.
I WISH I COULD DESCRIBE IT.
THERE PROBABLY IS A WORD FOR IT.
IN TERMS OF BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF SOMEONE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING THAT KAYLEY IS DOING.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU DON’T KNOW THE TRUE EXTENT OF WHAT THE OTHER PERSON ON THE OTHER END HAS GONE THROUGH TO GIVE THAT GIFT ALEXIS: HER CLASSMATES, FRIENDS
AND FAMILY CONTINUALLY PRAYED FOR HER LINING THE HALLS OF THE HOSPITAL FOR DAYS.
>> IT IS DIFFICULT TO KIND OF GRASP.
AS YOU LOOK BACK AND SEE EVERYONE WHO CAME.
THEY WERE IN THE HALLS THEY WERE IN THE WAITING ROOM.
JUST WANTING TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
IT IS HUMBLING.
ALEXIS: AS KAYLIE GIVES ONE OF THE MOST HONORABLE GIFTS POSSIBLE.
HER FAMILY RECIEVED ONE AS WELL.
>> WE WILL RECORD THEIR LOVED ONES HEART BEAT AND WE WILL SEND THAT TO THEM IN THE FORM OF A BEAR WHERE THEY CAN ALWAYS HEAR THEIR LOVED ONES.
ALEXIS A REMINDER THAT FROM TRAGIC LOSS ROSE LIFE.
AND THAT KAYLIE’S HEART WAS ALWAYS PRESENT.
>> I DON’T THINK HER LEGACY IS OVER.
IT IS JUST BEGINNING.
ALEXIS: A BEGINNING, THAT ALLOWED KAYLIE TO SAVE 6 LIVES AND TOUCH 50 OTHERS WITH HER GIFTS, JUST IN TIME.
AS WE SAT IN THE HOSPITAL WITH KAYLIE’S FAMILY AND WATCHED AS THEY MADE TOUGH DECISIONS AND RECEIVED UPDATES, IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THEIR RESOLVE THROUGH THEIR EXHAUSTION AND EMOTION.
WHEN THE DONATION COORDINATOR CAME IN TO TELL THEM KAYLIE WOULD BE ABLE TO DONATE TISS , IT WAS A TRUE CELEBRATION.
THIS WAS LIFE CHANGING FOR THEM TO BE A PART OF MAKING ONE O KAYLIE’S DREAMS COME TRUE WHICH WAS TO SAVE OTHERS.
SHEREE AS A PARENT, YOU ARE WATCHING THIS AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR CHILD WANTS TO BE IN ORGAN DONOR, BUT SHE WAS SO YOUNG.
FOR THAT FAMILY TO SAY YES AND MAKE THAT DECISION -- IT HAS TO HAPPEN SO QUICKLY.
SUCH A SELFLESS FAMILY.
ALEXIS TO ALLOW US TO BE THERE, YOU GUYS ARE PARENTS.
THIS IS A TOUGH TIME TO.
-- A TOUGH TIME.
IT WAS VERY TOUGH FOR THEM.
THEY RESPECTED HER WISHES.
MIKE: WHEN YOU ARE A TEENAGER AND THEY ASK YOU THAT SIMPLE QUESTION, YOU’RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT.
NOW YOU SEE WITH THAT ONE ANSWER OF YES COULD DO FOR ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE.
ALEXIS: YOU CAN MAKE THAT DECISION IN OHIO.
IF YOUR CHILD IS UNDER 18, YOU CAN OVERTURN YOUR CHILD’S WISH, BUT HER FAMILY SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WE KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED.
SHEREE: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU TO THEIR FAMILY.
THANK YO