Families Are What Matters Most
September 3, 2026
There are moments in life that forever divide time into before and after. A phone call. An accident. The sudden and traumatic loss of a loved one. In these moments, everything changes - forever.
Amidst unimaginable heartbreak, the families of organ and tissue donors choose to give others a second chance. Their decisions save lives, restore sight, heal injuries, and give hope to others. These families, the ones left behind to pick up the pieces, are the ones we honor and support at Taylor’s Gift.
After the final goodbyes have been said, the funeral is over, and life’s routines have returned, the families we walk with begin the long, difficult journey of grieving. A natural process we, as a culture, don’t do well.
We are comfortable honoring and celebrating the gifts of life-sustaining donation. We are much less comfortable embracing and caring for those left to grieve - parents learning to live without a child, a spouse facing an empty home, siblings navigating lives that will never feel the same. These are the families we serve.
At Taylor’s Gift, ensuring that no donor family grieves alone is at the heart of what we do. We are committed to walking alongside donor families. Through peer support, professionally facilitated grief support groups, and meaningful human connection, we remind families that healing doesn’t mean forgetting—it means finding a way to carry love forward.
As the Board Chair of Taylor’s Gift, I’ve seen remarkable changes in those we serve. Supporting families isn’t simply an act of kindness. It’s a reminder that healing happens in relationships. It’s proof that compassion has a lasting impact. And when families are supported, hope returns.
In a world that is often uncomfortable with grief, what those grieving need most is the willingness for someone to stay, to listen, to remember, to walk alongside them. Every act of compassion ripples outward. And every family deserves to know that even in their darkest moments, they don’t have to carry the weight of loss by themselves. At Taylor’s Gift, we know donations change lives. Caring for the families that say yes to donation allows us to honor every life, every gift, and every legacy in the most meaningful way possible.
About the Author
Elizabeth Hughes, PhD
TGF Grief Support Program Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer
Dr. Elizabeth Hughes is a clinical psychologist in Dallas, Texas, with extensive experience supporting individuals and families navigating medical illness, trauma, and grief. Her work with donor families led her to recognize the need for greater grief support following donation. In 2021, she partnered with Taylor’s Gift Co-Founder Tara Storch to develop and launch the Taylor’s Gift Grief Support Program, helping ensure no donor family grieves alone.
NEED GRIEF SUPPORT?
Taylor's Gift provides free grief support for donor families through one-on-one peer support, virtual support groups, workshops, and resources. If you or someone you know could benefit from support, learn more at taylorsgift.org/griefsupport.