Sierr'a Alban
Donor Family or Friend
I'm Sierr'a Alban and I am the donor mom of Sienna Dixon Newman. My daughter became a donor after an asthma attack in 2015. So Sienna was a wild child, but a gentle wild child; we called her mother because no matter how old you were, she wanted to take care of you. She had friends from every walk of life that you can think of. She lit up a room when she came in; she was always laughing, always running around. She was such an amazing little girl. She constantly astonished me at only seven years old. She told me that when she passed away, she wanted to become an organ donor. I know you're probably wondering, how does she know what an organ donor was at seven years old? She was playing in my purse one day and came across my license.
She asked me what a heart on my license meant. I explained the best that I could to a then six-year-old child without scaring her to death. She said, "I want to be an organ donor too, Mama. I don't need those when I'm gone." I couldn't believe how selfless and aware she was at such a young age, but I'm so thankful that she was.
I was devastated when I lost my daughter. But by donating her tissue, corneas and heart valves, I gained a new family. The donor community lifted me up and embraced me and I continue to volunteer and share my story. While I haven't met the people who my daughter gave a second life to, I'm able to see the impact every day that my daughter has had on others. While losing someone is never easy, I will always be grateful for the friends and loved ones that have been found.
