Austin mom spreads support for organ donation

MyFoxAustin | Ann Wyatt Little
An Austin mother is sharing her story for the first time after losing her son in a tragic accident and making the decision to donate his organs.

"The word is overused but surreal," described Melisa Cummings recalling the day her world changed.

Cummings received a call in the middle of the night on January 8th, 2012. Her son, Carson, had been hit by a car in Los Angeles.

"You're not understanding that they said he had been in a terrible accident with a brain injury," said Cummings. She, her husband and daughter caught the first flight to California.

At 24, Carson had moved to California to follow his dreams of telling stories and making movies in Hollywood.

"You have hope. I thought I'm his Mom, I can fix this," she said.

Doctors told Cummings that Carson's brain injury was so severe. He wasn't going to make it. The hospital asked the Cummings if they would consider organ donation. As a family, the decision was clear.

"I know Carson would have wanted it. It means so much that his life means even more. That tragic accident could have been the end of our story," she explained.

While Texas is a big state, it can be a small world. The Cummings reached out to a friend who sent out a mass email asking if anyone knew someone in need of an organ. That someone was Adele Brown from Dallas. She had recently been placed on the waiting list for a new liver.Continue reading

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