My daughter, JoQuana “JoJo” Thomas, was the life of every party. She was a bright star—caring, giving, and loving with her whole heart. She had a special gift with people. If there was a way she could help someone, she would. No matter what she was going through, she greeted the world with that amazing smile of hers. She never complained, never wanted anyone to worry, and she certainly never wanted her bad day to become someone else’s.
JoJo passed away on March 25, 2024, just five days shy of her 32nd birthday.
Her health struggles began in 2020 when she had a stroke. Later she developed an embolism in her lungs. One day she told me she wasn’t feeling well, and I begged her to go to the hospital, but she didn’t want to. The next morning, my granddaughter called and said, “My mommy needs your help.” I lived only five minutes away, so I rushed over. We called the paramedics, and JoJo had suffered a major stroke. Once she was admitted to the hospital, things didn’t get better, they got worse. I eventually had to make the heartbreaking decision not to let her suffer anymore.
What I didn’t know until then was that JoJo had chosen to be an organ donor. It surprised me. I had lost my son in 2018 after a car accident, and once he was declared brain dead, I found out he was a donor, too. I remember thinking how amazing that was. He had asked me about donation once, but he never said he’d registered. And even after losing him, JoJo never mentioned that she was a donor as well.
The donation process with her was compassionate and gentle. The HonorBridge team didn’t rush anything. They understood exactly where I was emotionally and what I was going through. Even though this was my second time walking this road, they treated me with the same care and respect as if it were my first. JoJo’s kidneys were donated, and one recipient wrote to me after they received a graft. Because she had a rare blood type, finding matches wasn’t easy, but she still helped someone.
I’m raising seven of my grandchildren now, and knowing JoJo was a donor has brought me peace. It made me feel like her life truly mattered. A complete stranger out there appreciates her just as much as those of us who loved her in life.
JoJo was a giver from the very moment she arrived in this world to the moment she left it.
I’ve had family members who didn’t understand donation, but I explained it this way: even though I know my children have passed away, there are still pieces of them living on earth because of what they chose to give. They were able to help someone else continue living. As long as those pieces are out there, my children are still part of this world.
75 or more lives can be saved and healed by one organ, eye, and tissue donor. Sign up today!