Local Family Honors Jayla Celestine Who Offered Hope and Life to Others
LifeGift’s 2nd Chance Run (5K/1mile walk or run) in Houston honors organ, eye and tissue donors in 109 Texas counties in North, Southeast and West Texas. The Houston 2nd Chance Run will take place on Sunday, November 20th, 6:30 a.m. at Minute Maid Park, home of the World Series-winning Houston Astros. LifeGift invites you to spend a morning celebrating the gift of life. The 2nd Chance Run is a timed event and you can run or walk 1 mile or 3.1 miles (5k) at Minute Maid Park or participate virtually! LifeGift’s 2nd Chance Run/Walk will begin INSIDE Minute Maid Park at the Warning Track! For more information and to register, please click here.
All registered 2nd Chance Run event participants will receive a commemorative 2022 2nd Chance Run t-shirt and an event medal. LifeGift will promote our event on social media, sharing photos and comments of support to our donor families, transplant recipients and other members of our LifeGift community.
The Houston 2nd Chance Run is being sponsored by CareDx, Community Tissue Services, Eurofins Transplant Genomics, Houston Methodist, Organ Recovery Systems, LifeNet Health, Cigna, IRONMAN Foundation, Nora’s Home, Children’s Transplant Initiative, Smilin’ Rylen Foundation, Telemundo, Memorial Hermann, Morales Funeral Home, Clayton Sparks Leaves His Mark, Taylor’s Gift and honorary sponsor the Morales Foundation.
Nearly three years ago, 13-year-old Jayla Celestine lost her life due to a traumatic brain aneurism. Her family stayed true to her giving spirit by changing the lives of others through organ donation. “I knew my daughter would have wanted to help someone else live,” says mother, Danielle Turner. “It was not easy on my heart because I knew organ donation meant my little girl was no longer here on earth with me, but my spirit was rested knowing she helped someone.”
Jayla’s selfless donation saved the life of five patients on the organ waiting list. “Being a donor family has changed our life,” adds Turner. “After my nephew found out that I had decided to donate Jayla’s organs, he and my sister had a long talk and at 15 years old, he told my sister he wanted to register as an organ donor. My mother was not happy at first but once she and I talked about it, she understood why and was so grateful that Jayla was able to help so many.”
“Since 2015, the Houston 2nd Chance Run has symbolized hope for men, women and children who are waiting for life-saving organ, eye and tissue transplants in the greater Houston area,” says Kevin Myer, LifeGift president and CEO. “Each year, we’ve seen many new participants joining our 2nd Chance Run, demonstrating the community’s strong commitment and devotion to raise awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation registration.”
Be sure to join us on our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram pages as we honor online our donors, recipients and their families as well as educate on the importance of organ and tissue donor registration.
What: LifeGift’s 8th Annual Houston 2nd Chance Run
Who: Transplant recipients, donor family members, healthcare professionals, donation advocates and the entire community are invited to participate
When: Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 6:30 a.m.
Where: Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford St., Houston, TX 77002
Website: Houston 2nd Chance Run
For more information and to register, please click here. For event sponsorship information, please contact Dagmar Climo at dclimo@lifegift.org.
There are nearly 10,000 Texans in need of organ transplants. Register today to become an organ, eye or tissue donor by visiting DonateLifeTexas.org.
Shining a Light of Hope on Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation.