An Abernathy family lost their 12-year-old daughter, Destiny Kent, on April 28 due to a failed brain surgery. Her family made the decision to donate Destiny’s organs which they said saved the lives of three others.
“I felt like that’s what she wanted to do, is help somebody else,” said Destiny’s mom, Andrea Bando.
According to Life Gift 2,100 kids under the age of 17 are on the national waiting list for an organ.
“A 13-year-old teen in Tennessee got her heart and kidney, one person in Houston got her lungs and other kidney, and another in Houston received her liver,” said Destiny’s grandmother, Hilda Lopez.
Lopez said Destiny had complained about headaches in the back of her head for a period of time. Her mom had Destiny scheduled for a surgery to treat her chiari malformation. Ultimately, Destiny did not survive the surgery.
“She was such a big hearted girl always wanting to help anyone she could, she would have wanted to give this final gift to help save others,” said Lopez on a Go Fund me page she created. “No one thought this precious little girl, who was going in for what we thought was a normal surgery, was going to be like this and we do not have insurance to cover her final expenses.”
Destiny was a 7th grader at Abernathy middle school and is survived by two sisters and three brothers. Her mom said she loved sports especially the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Tech. She was also a dog lover.
“If you saw Destiny, you saw Lone Wolf,” said Banda referring to Destiny’s German Shepard.
Her mom said she’s proud to know Destiny’s heart will live forever.
“She was an angel here on earth, now she will always be our little angel,” said Lopez.
Destiny’s viewing will be Saturday May 7 at 10 a.m. in Abernathy. Her funeral will be at Sanders funeral home in Lubbock on Friday 5-7 p.m. and a rosary will be held following the service at 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
“We live in a small town in Abernathy and I was just overwhelmed for the love and response they have for Destiny,” said Banda.
To help the family out with donations you can visit their Go Fund Me page by clicking here.
They are raising $12,000 for medical expenses. As of Friday the family is close to reaching that goal with a little over $11,000.
“We are truly blessed that so many people are helping out, from those we know to total strangers,” said Lopez.
According to Life Gift minors are allowed to register to become donors, however, it is ultimately the parents decision until the child turns 18.
To learn more about becoming an organ donor and the program Life Gift visit: http://lifegift.org.