Aimee Sachs was a beautiful person inside and out. The middle of three sisters, as a child her dream was to become a professional baseball player. She eventually abandoned that goal and settled for a career in journalism.
She loved music and singing. She killed at karaoke, especially while performing Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.”
Aimee was a gifted writer and a talented journalist. She was proud to be a graduate of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, where she did on-camera reporting for WUFT and contributed to the off-campus newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator.
Aimee loved sports. Her life’s great passion was baseball. Her heart belonged to the Atlanta Braves and in 2015 her dream came true when she was hired by mlb.com to cover Braves games. She excelled in a male-dominated field and people respected her for that.
Watch Samantha’s tribute to her sister, Aimee.
Aimee entered the hospital on May 20, 2023 with severe neck pain. She was in the ICU for several days. On May 24, MRI results came back and showed that Aimee had had a small stroke. She was determined to recover from that and be able to walk again, unassisted. She looked forward to visits from the physical therapist, and doctors said she would fully recover.
On the morning of May 28, her big sister Sam was with her when Aimee had a massive stroke. Doctors told Aimee’s family it was unlikely that she would ever wake up—but she did. It was a worst-case scenario situation. Aimee had a rare permanent condition known as “locked-in” syndrome. She was completely paralyzed and could not move or speak, but she could hear and think and see. Her only means of communication was by the blinking of her eyes.
When her dad, Ron, explained to Aimee what happened, he told her she could continue to live on a ventilator, but that she would never recover or live a normal life. He asked her to close her eyes if she did not want to live that way. Aimee closed her eyes right away.
Ron then asked Aimee if, when taken off the ventilator and she passed away, to close her eyes if she wanted to donate her organs. She closed them immediately.
Aimee died in a hospital operating room on May 31, 2023. Ron and Sam were by her side. After she died, surgeons acted swiftly to retrieve Aimee’s organs. Her kidneys were successfully transplanted to two young men, and her liver to a 42-year-old woman. Aimee saved three lives the day she died.
Aimee’s final act of kindness was the bravest thing her family has ever witnessed. They are committed to sharing her story and inspiring others to become registered organ donors.
Remembering Aimee
Submitted on behalf of: Samantha Sachs (Sister)