Emily Simmers’ Silver Lining

by Woody Jenkins, Editor

BATON ROUGE — Around 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28, 2011, Mary Simmers dropped her son off at Central High School and pulled onto Wax Road.  In the fog, she didn’t see the pickup truck until it slammed into her vehicle.

Her 10-year-old daughter Emily sat in her seat belt in the backseat, waiting to be dropped off at Central Intermediate School.

When son Ethan heard the crash, he ran to the car.  Mary’s only concern was for Emily, who was slumped over in the backseat.

When EMS arrived, they did chest compressions and rushed her to Lane Regional in Zachary.  Then she was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge.

But Emily had no brain activity.  She was kept on life support until all hope was gone.

That left a grieving family and a community in shock that another one of its young people had died on Central’s narrow roads.  Central, which has grown rapidly, has roads that were built for another time.  Roads without shoulders.  Roads with deep drop-offs and no room for driver error.

But the tragedy of Nov. 28, 2011, isn’t the end of the story, because there is a silver lining.

Recently, three people gathered at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital to celebrate Emily’s life and to thank her for saving theirs.

Each one of them received an organ donated by Emily Simmers.

Present were Paul Richard, who received a kidney, Sprite Kiger, who received her liver, and little Whitney Bishop, who received Emily’s heart.

Not present were Jamal Journee, who received a kidney, and Monica Rios, who received the pancreas.

Emily’s mother, father, and brother were there to meet the recipients.

Mary said, “I lost Emily, but I now have more children and grandchildren. Because of my Emily and donation, these people are able to live!”

Lori Steele of Louisiana’s Organ Procurement Agency said the goal of bringing the Simmers family together with the recipients was to spread awareness of the difference organ donations can make.

For more information on donating organs, go to www.lopa.org or call 800-521-4483.