In March, I posted about our upcoming annual Donate Life 5k in Fullerton, CA. Thank you to everyone who joined our team, made a donation, and / or supported us in other ways. We raised a total of $2,418 to support the One Legacy Foundation’s mission of inspiring and advancing organ/tissue donation and transplantation.
I went in expecting it to be a very emotionally difficult day, and while it was, of course, emotional, it was still a surprisingly nice day. It was great to see old friends, and meet new friends who joined our team. Here’s our unofficial team photo:
We walked, we ran, we snacked, and we chatted in our “Handmade by Susan Yoo” t-shirts.
Susan had a spot in the Circle of Life garden:
Seeing her photo alongside the many others in the garden reminded me of how many people experience profound loss on a daily basis. It was sad, but also lovely to see so many people in the garden, remembering their loved ones, and learning about strangers who received or donated organs. The celebratory spirit of the event extended into the garden, and softened the bittersweetness of the day.
Over the past few years, as Susan’s mobility became increasingly limited, she would always encourage push me to do things as I always did; she never wanted others to change things to accommodate her. So, for many reasons, I’m glad we carried on with the tradition and participated in the 5k. I hope you’re proud of me, sis.
Oh, and that last photo made me realize – I look just like our dad!