Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Storch.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In March of 2010, we were on our family Spring Break ski vacation in Beaver Creek, CO having a wonderful time together. It was on the final run of the day that our oldest child, Taylor, just 13 years old, had an accident on the slopes and hit a tree. I won’t ever forget those moments that followed of horror, fear, shock and confusion.
It went from the best vacation to the worst in a light switch moment, and our family was thrown into the unknown world of grief. When we were in the hospital, a kind nurse approached us and gently said: “she is a beautiful candidate for organ donation; would you consider it?” To be honest, we had never talked about organ donation in our family.
And now, we were faced with it – and the hardest part is that this nurse was talking about our child. Our child. How could this be happening? But, in all the hardest decisions we were making, saying ‘yes’ to Taylor being an organ donor was the easiest decision because of the child Taylor was. She such a giving child and incredibly others-centered. I could fill up this article about the kind, caring and loving ways about her. Traits you can’t teach a child – it was just how she was made and wired by God.
With the gift of life she gave, she was able to save and improve the lives of 5 people with the gift of her heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas and cornea. We have been blessed to connect and meet 4 out of the 5 recipients, which has been an incredible blessing! The moment of us meeting her heart recipient ran on Good Morning America which when we came back from Colorado, we pretty much had to restart our lives emotionally and physically. All of a sudden, we were a family of 4, not 5. Simple things like going out to eat and asking for a table of 4 would send me into tears. Grief can be ugly and unpredictable.
My precious husband, Todd, shared with me a quote his grandfather ingrained into his mind and that was “It’s not what happens to you that matters, it how you react to it that does”. We realized our reaction to this loss was going to be very important, not only to our extended family and friends but most importantly, for our two other children. It would have been easy to cave up in the grief, and we did for a while, but we knew we had to find the good in our situation and organ donation was the good… the gift… the blessing that came out of it.
We started Taylor’s Gift Foundation in 2010 with the initial mission of increasing organ donation registrations, but it has grown into so much more by filling a very unique need with a specific program to assist families of organ donors.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth is not something I could call this road, but, my “why” was big enough to never give up.
The Foundation, and I personally, has had many ups and downs, falling down, getting back up, wanting to quit and wanting to keep going. And from each dip in the valley, there were lessons to learn and opportunities to grow. The struggles and lessons learned from each hiccup kept us wanting to improve and positively impact more families of organ donors.
We cherish and celebrate the smooth times, but are fully aware that during those times, we can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. We have to continually be creative and stand out with our messaging and fundraising, which in itself can be challenging.
We are so very grateful to Firehouse Agency who pretty much adopted Taylor’s Gift and who has been an incredible creative force in our marketing and branding efforts. They have walked shoulder to shoulder with us during all the ups and downs and have been incredible cheerleaders for us to keep the momentum going!
Sometimes you just need that extra push from those who believe in you, say what you “really” need to hear, not just what you “want” to hear and make you better for it. We have been extremely blessed with an active board and advisory board that truly believes in Taylor’s Gift and they are all wonderful advocates for us!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Taylor’s Gift Foundation – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
“Organ Donors Save Lives. Taylor’s Gift Supports Their Families.” That statement truly exemplifies what Taylor’s Gift Foundation is all about.
The engine of Taylor’s Gift will always be to share the importance of the gift of life through organ donation. That component of our mission will keep us moving forward with our “Outlive Yourself” message. Our major program and our financial giveback is our ‘Legacy Gift’ program (TaylorsGift.org/LegacyGift). We are extremely proud of this program because it’s the only one of it’s kind.
There are different sides of organ donation… the donor, the recipient and those who are waiting for a transplant. We found that there were financial resources out there for recipients and those who were waiting, but nothing for the donor side. That is where we stepped in and started to fill this need.
You see, organ donation usually comes out of an accident or tragedy. Many families are not prepared for a sudden loss of a loved one. That loved one gave the gift of life through organ donation so others could live, and this is where Taylor’s Gift steps in to assist them in their darkest hour. So far, we have helped over 200 families with funeral, rent, utilities and immediate basic needs. We are proud to say that we fill the need within 24 hours! If it’s funeral assistance, we are immediately calling the funeral home. If they are needing help with making rent, we are calling the landlord. The word we hear most from these special families is “relief”. We feel so blessed to be able to help them in such a delicate time in their lives.
How we implement the program is with our OPO partners (Organ Procurement Organization) who are the hands and feet of the organ donation process. We currently work with the OPO partners in Texas, Arkansas and New York and have plans to grow into other states by the end of the year. The more funding we raise, the more families we can help, so we are continually fine-tuning our fundraising efforts.
We are honored to be the only organization in the nation with a program to financially assist organ donor families.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Speaking specifically of Coppell, I love the small-town feel this city has. There is a very community-oriented area called “Old Town Coppell” where there is a farmers market, great places to have coffee and shop and so many family-friendly things to do.
Coppell has surrounded us with encouragement and support for Taylor’s Gift, but personally, this city has loved and prayed for our family from the moment we lost Taylor. They have never forgotten her and always show such beautiful and meaningful ways to remember her.
Now, speaking of the DFW area, I love how there are so many things to do and see! A weekend in Dallas could be anything from country dancing to food trucks or relaxing at one of the many beautiful parks. When we have friends come in town who have never been to Dallas, we never lack for entertaining things to do for kids of all ages.
And the history is Dallas is incredible. We recently took a Segway tour with the kids and although my husband and I have lived here over 25 years, there was so much we learned about the history of Dallas!
To be honest, there really isn’t much I don’t like about our city! I guess the one thing I like least is that we don’t have a broader public transportation system. If Dallas had some sort of subway system, I think that could really reduce the amount of road traffic. But, other than that, I truly love living here!
Contact Info:
- Address: 106 N. Denton Tap Rd, Suite 210-167
Coppell, TX 75019 - Website: www.TaylorsGift.org
- Email: tarastorch@taylorsgift.org
Image Credit:
John Wehlage Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
