When Briana Brooks received her driver’s permit, she made the decision to register as an organ donor, and with that single act she would change the lives of others forever. It was no surprise that Briana made that decision – from a young age, she felt destined to help people. Influenced by her pediatrician, she had long proclaimed to her mom, “I want to be a pediatrician and save lives!” and Briana pursued that dream. She graduated in 2011 from George Washington Carver, Health and Sciences Research High School and was awarded a scholarship to continue her studies, which she planned to continue after a brief break when she became a mother.
Briana, already a mother of two, was seven months pregnant when she and her fiancé were kidnapped at gunpoint. They were found hours later with catastrophic injuries; Briana was barely alive and sadly, her fiancé had already succumbed to his injuries. Once at the hospital, Briana underwent an emergency C-section to save the precious life she was carrying. Doctors prepared her family for the worst – her severe gunshot wound in the head was not survivable and it was unlikely her newborn baby, Kaylie, would survive either. Briana’s family began to pray for a miracle, for life.
Three days later, Briana’s decision to save lives through organ donation became a reality, as doctors informed her family that she was brain dead. Her family took comfort knowing Briana’s life was not going to be remembered for the brutal way she died but for the wonderful gifts she was able to share with four people. She fulfilled her dream to save lives, and she saved four families from experiencing the loss of their loved ones.
“Kaylie’s survival was another answered prayer; she recently celebrated her fourth birthday.” said Sadria Strong, Briana’s mom. “Briana’s legacy continues through her three children and the recipients of her organs. In her darkest moment she gave light and life to others.”
Submitted on behalf of: Sadria Strong (mother)