Taylor’s Gift started when Tara and Todd Storch learned that their oldest daughter, Taylor, had been mortally wounded while on a skiing trip in Colorado. Her parents were asked if they would be interested in organ donation because the doctors thought she would be a great candidate for the program. They embodied the giving nature of their eldest daughter and agreed to donate. The organs they took from Taylor saved the lives of five different people that desperately needed them. They felt incredible grief from the loss of their daughter, but they also had a sense of gratefulness for the lives they could save. Their website states that “the Storch family didn’t have others around them who truly understood the unique situation of grief mixed with gratefulness that comes with organ donation.” This combination of emotions along with people not being able to relate to them inspired them to make Taylor’s Gift.
They founded the non-profit in 2010 to provide a unique form of counseling for those who have a family member that died and has had their organs donated. It allows people to be surrounded by those who have gone through the same emotionally turbulent event. “Sometimes we need people around us who ‘get it’ and have walked a similar grief path,” states their website. Participants in the program are never ever charged for any of the services provided to them from Taylor’s Gift. The length of the program is dependent on the individual or group that is taking part, as some people may need more or less time to fully come to grips with the emotions of grief and gratefulness that organ donation gives people.
All events are headed by professionals or trained volunteers who work hard to provide the services that their guests need. Volunteers are always welcome to sign up on their website to lead support groups. If you volunteer, you will be trained in the proper ways to facilitate such groups. Licensed therapists or counselors are also much appreciated by Taylor’s Gift. Only two to four hours every month are asked to provide the help that many families need. Not everyone is able to volunteer their time, unfortunately, so if you wish to help out then their site also has the option to give direct donations. This money keeps the doors open and free to all those who have been touched by organ donations.
People who are in need of the services that are provided by Taylor’s Gift can apply online and will get a call or e-mail as soon as three business days. Groups meet in person, but if you for some reason are unable to meet then they do provide the option of online meeting so people out of Dallas can go as well. They will also set up a date that is best for you, so if you have lost a family member and their organs were donated, don’t hesitate to sign up now.
Visit them at www.taylorsgift.org/.
