Celebrate Life Foundation - Our History

Celebrate Life Foundation was founded in October 2009, through two sisters that wanted to raise awareness to the “Gift of Life”. Following the tragic accident of our close cousin, Dana Ezell (21). The three of us together were inseparable and have been close to one another since birth. Tragedy struck on a rainy Saturday in March 2009. We got the phone call that our beloved Dana was in a very serious car accident in Franklin County. The hospital staff did not think she would make it through the night. She suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury and stayed in the ICU on a ventilator. Everyone stayed by her side in hopes that she would soon wake up. Over the next 5 days, we stayed with Dana close by her side in the hospital with her family. The waiting was the hardest part, waiting to see her open her eyes or make any type of movement. But, early Thursday morning, April 2, 2009; the hospital called Dana’s mom to unveil the news no one could come to terms with. During the night Dana suffered several mini strokes in her brain, causing her to go brain dead. Dana’s mom had to make the touching decision to donate Dana’s organs. For this is the absolute last decision a parent should ever have to make for their child, but she knew that Dana would of wanted to do so.

At this time in our lives, we all felt the world come to a complete stop, while somewhere else in the world today was the day that several peoples’ lives were about to be saved. While we were mourning the death of our beloved “Dana Belle”, another young woman is being given a second chance at life through Dana’s heart. Another man’s life was about to change through the gift of Dana’s kidney. Many other lives were saved from the greatest gift Dana gave, her life. Although she didn’t know it, she became a hero to so many people, the ones who love her so dearly, the lives she saved and all the lives she has touched before and now after the accident. Dana didn’t know she would be an organ donor, neither do a lot of people that are young and worry free. Dana was only 21 and she was taken from us far too soon, but now we can embrace the life she lived and ultimately gave. Our organization is designed to inspire you to do the same. Through the endless grief and sorrow there is a ray of light to help us stay strong. Together we can stay strong through events to celebrate the “Gift of Life” and embrace with one another the endless memories our loved ones left for us.