‘Night of Light’ event honors organ donors and recipients

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The Indiana Donor Network’s “Night of Light” event honored organ donors and their recipients Friday night.

The event took place at the Evansville Civic Center, where loved ones came to hang ornaments to honor the people that are no longer with us, and the people that they saved.

One of the donors celebrated is 16-year-old Destany Pike, who saved four people by donating her organs after losing her life.

“She was a very special girl,” said her mother, Tori. “She loved any and everybody that walked into her life.”

Liver transplant recipient Jess Schnur was also in attendance. She was saved when a man donated his liver over a year ago.

“I’m living for me, and I’m living for him and all of his kids,” she said. “I’ve just got this huge life I’ve got to live, and I’m going to do it. I’m going to make sure everybody else knows about organ donation and how important it is.”

For Schnur, the event was an opportunity to honor people like the man who saved her.

Pike, it was a chance to show the world what her daughter did.

“It just keeps her alive for me in my heart,” she said. “It’s definitely an honor. I’m so proud of my daughter. I want to be at every event that I can let people know what she did and saved lives, and it wasn’t all in vain.”

Organizers said they hope the event can encourage even more people to become organ donors.

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