Rachel Wagner was a kind, petite 19-year-old who looked just like her mother. Her son, Jayden, was the apple of her eye—and she worked hard to give them both the future they deserved. On the morning of July 3, 2018, after dropping her son off with her grandmother, she was fatally injured in a tragic car accident while on her way to work.
“Less than a mile from the house she ran off the road, overcorrected, and crossed over and hit a tree,” said her father, Shane Wagner. “We know she didn’t suffer. I guess the good Lord let her maintain her heartbeat so she could make that final gift.”
Rachel had registered as an organ donor herself—a decision that didn’t surprise her parents in the least.
“When she got her license, I went with her,” said Shane. “She was filling out the paperwork, and she got to the box where it asked if she wanted to be an organ donor. She kind of looked at me like, what should I do? I said sweetie, that’s your decision, and there’s no right or wrong answer. I just left it at that. Knowing her and the giving person she was, she checked the box.”
Following her accident, Rachel was able to donate everything but her eyes and her lungs.
“We have heard from her kidney recipient—they send something every year around Christmas,” said her mother, Merinda. “Her heart went to a mother with four children. I hope she’s doing well. It does make you feel good, because it’s what Rachel would have wanted.”
Losing their beloved daughter brought unimaginable pain—but both Shane and Merinda have nothing but good things to say about the organ donation process.
“I was familiar with organ donation,” said Merinda. “My dad had donated a kidney to my brother, years ago. It’s a wonderful thing. Rachel probably wouldn’t have been happy with us if we’d said no. The process was comforting, too, and the way it was handled. It was done in an honoring and loving way. We had the ceremony outside the hospital, and they raised the flag. Our family support coordinator’s name was Lorelei, and she was amazing. We were impressed and have nothing bad to say about it.”
Today, Shane and Merinda are raising their grandson, Jayden, and keeping Rachel’s memory alive and well. One day, they hope to meet her heart recipient. “It would mean a lot to hear her heartbeat,” said Shane.
For those who are on the fence about registering to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor, Rachel’s father encourages them to “just do it.”
“Why wouldn’t you? If I’ve got anything left that’s worth anything, I want somebody to use it,” he said. “Rachel thought the same way. It’s comforting to know she’s still out there, helping people.”
Did you know? One organ, eye, and tissue donor can save and heal up to 75 lives! Register your decision today!
