Raivyn Brooke Summerfield was wise beyond her years. She had a smile that could light up a room and a gift of wisdom. If you were ever down or needed level minded advice, Raivyn had the ability to give you needed advice or induce a smile that would last a lifetime. She was always referred to as everyone’s “Rai” of sunshine. She never met a stranger and had a heart of gold that would do anything in her power to help others, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.

At the very young age of 10, Raivyn had the opportunity to inquire about organ donation when a family member was tragically killed and went on to become an organ donor. After becoming her innate inquisitive self, naturally the questions flowed upon learning of such an important life event. It was then that she proclaimed to everyone she could come in contact with that she too was an organ donor. It became her mission to educate others to the best of her ability about such a selfless act that any human could do.

On April 19, 2012, Raivyn was in an ATV accident and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. For the next 36 hours Raivyn would put up a gallant fight but one that ultimately wasn’t hers to win. On April 21, we as a family made a decision that ultimately Raivyn had made for us 4 years prior, we signed consent for organ donation. The decision came easy for us as she had already lit the path for us with her declaration and passion about organ donation.

On April 23, Raivyn went on to give her final gifts to this world….LIFE!! Raivyn was able to give the gift of life to four strangers, immediately, with her gift of heart, kidneys, and liver. She also was a bone, tissue, and eye donor enabling her to help enhance and save the lives of countless others.

“I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in our darkest hour. We all want to give our children what they want and this was my chance to honor her final wish in this life” stated her mother, Tracie Hessley.

Through the opportunity given to us to become a donor family, it has helped with knowing that Raivyn does live on, not only in our hearts, but in the lives of so many others. We have become actively involved in our local OPO and Donate Life organizations, helping others see what an amazing gift one can give just by saying the simple word YES. We are also helping in the education of high school students and other families in talking with their families about becoming an organ donor. We understand the difficulty that may arise with talking to our young children about such a subject but have come to learn just how important it really is.

“We will continue, daily, educating the world about such a selfless act and how our small young child made such a profound decision. Through our efforts, Raivyn’s legacy will continue even in her death. She will always be our “Rai” of sunshine and a HERO in the eyes of all.” –Tracie Hessley