      
|
|
About Savannah
Savannah Faith Sides, born August 26th 2001 died May 15th
2007.
Donated kidneys Liver eye tissue and heart valves.
Savannah was a miracle from birth. Sandy and I were
both 30 years old and she had her tubes tied after her last child eight
years ago. Miraculously our insurance changed their policy and covered
the tubal reversal surgery. We had it done and it worked perfectly.
We got pregnant immediately.
Savannah was born healthy and beautiful but 2 weeks later
her umbilical cord became infected with a flesh eating bacteria. The
survival rate of this rare infection is below 30% for a new born. We
spent two weeks in Children's Hospital. They took a biopsy on the
morning of September 11, 2001. While the world mourned the loss of
lives at the twin towers, we could only pray for our baby's life. That
prayer was answered as over the next week she was miraculously healed and we
brought her home. The doctors told us they do not know how she
survived.
Savannah was a special child that never met a stranger and
would favor the elderly. She would set with a sweet lady we called Granny
(Willie Louise Amerson) during church.
They became very close the last year of her life. She was allowed to
sit with her friends which she did from time to time but she often sat with
Granny. I never asked her why I just pondered and enjoyed her
selflessness. Mrs. Amerson passed away February 2nd 2009 almost two
years later. Even on her death bed Granny spoke of how she missed that
little girl. Well they are together now.
Savannah was a Kindergartener at Curry Elementary the last
year of her life. We found out that she was considered very special
there as well. Her teacher Mrs. Wheeler named her the social butterfly
because she was friends with everybody. The school and her class were
extremely supportive of us as we dealt with the loss. I am told that
some of her classmates and older children that knew her still frequent her
grave site to remember her.
Savannah made her own choice to be a donor. About a
month before her accident we were signing up online to be donors. She
asked if she could sign up. Sandy and I explained to her as best we
could what it meant but she answered, "I won't need
it in heaven". Little did we know that she would donate before we
would.
Sandy and Savannah were on their way to school May 15th 2007
when a neighbor and mother of small children herself, fell asleep and hit
them head on. The impact stopped all forward motion and even threw
Sandy's car backwards around one hundred feet where they hit a power pole on
Savannah's side. Savannah suffered massive brain injury but lived till
around 4pm that day. Sandy was flown to UAB trauma unit where she spent
the next month recovering. Sandy has had over 20 surgeries and continues to suffer from her injuries.
When the doctor told me that Savannah had no brain function
I remembered what she had said about organ donation. I asked the
doctor if Savannah could help someone else. I thought the doctor was
going to faint but she quickly registered what I said and got the ball
rolling. Good came out of
tragedy that day as 4 or more lives were changed.
In 2009, we got to meet and play with Alexis, who received
Savannah's liver. She has had no rejection from the transplant and should lead a
normal life. We hope to meet the other recipients as well.
So to bring even more good from this tragedy we are
organizing this yearly benefit ride in Savannah's memory to help organ transplant
candidates. Please participate in, pray for, promote the ride and
become an organ donor. You "won't need them in heaven" but others can
still use them down here.
Do something good
with the life God gave you.
|
Click on the link to email us about putting a link to
your site here. Help support the ride and get noticed.
|
