Taylor's Gift: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope

by Tara Storch, Todd Storch, Jennifer Schuchmann, Max Lucado (Foreword by)

Overview

In March 2010, thirteen-year-old Taylor Storch's life was tragically cut short by a skiing accident. With only a few minutes to consider their options, her grieving family made the life-changing decision to donate her organs. Knowing Taylor's caring spirit, they were sure this was what she would have wanted. Over the course of the next two years, Tara and Todd Storch connected with four of the five people who now live because of Taylor's gift. And through these encounters, the Storches have discovered unexpected blessings that are changing countless lives.

Now Tara and Todd share their inspiring story, shining a light at the end of the tunnel for those enduring the suffering of losing a loved one. Through the stories of the donor recipients, readers will discover hope in the midst of pain. Honest with their struggles, the Storches show readers that life is a gift and our response to grief is a choice. They also speak with a clear voice about the importance and the blessing of being an organ donor, telling the inspiring story of the creation of Taylor's Gift Foundation and its goals to raise awareness of the need for organ donation, to re-gift life, renew health, and restore families. They are changing the conversation around the globe that organ donation is not about death--it's about life! Foreword by Max Lucado.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441241016
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

After the death of his daughter, Todd Storch left a successful career in media consulting to pursue his God-given passion to promote organ donation. As co-founder of Taylor's Gift Foundation, Todd manages the day-to-day operations. In less than two years, Todd has spoken to nearly 10,000 people. Through the foundation's efforts, he has contributed to the certification of nearly 2,000,000 organ donors in Texas and over 12,000,000 nationally. Todd has more than twenty years of experience as a senior executive in radio and digital media sales, and extensive experience helping companies build their digital and interactive divisions.

Tara Storch is an award-winning sales and marketing professional, an entrepreneur, and a community leader, but most importantly she is a wife to Todd and a mom to Ryan and Peyton. Along with her husband, Todd, she cofounded Taylor's Gift Foundation to increase organ donation to "regift life, renew health, and restore families." She and her husband have shared their story on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and other national media.

Jennifer Schuchmann specializes in collaborations with celebrities and newsmakers. Among her many books, she is the coauthor with Kurt and Brenda Warner of the New York Times bestselling First Things First; with Dan Woolley of Unshaken, the only book written by a survivor of the Haiti earthquake; and with Jim Cymbala of Spirit Rising.

Table of Contents

Foreword Max Lucado 9

Part 1 Endings

1 The Accident 13

2 Snapshots of Taylor 17

3 The Cowboy 29

4 The Nurse 35

5 The Bike Rider 43

6 The Teenager 51

Part 2 Rewriting the Stories

7 Waiting Rooms 59

8 Holding On to Taylor 69

9 Signs of Life 79

10 Saying Goodbye 91

11 Homecoming 101

12 Honoring Taylor 111

13 A Wake 119

14 Finding Purpose 129

15 Opening Doors 139

16 Opposing Grief 147

17 Purpose in the Pain 155

18 Looking for Confirmation 165

19 Showers of Emotion 175

20 The Cowboy's Daughter Connects on Facebook 185

21 Confirmation 187

22 Of Course! 195

23 The Nurse Responds 205

24 First Meetings 207

25 One Step Forward 217

26 The Stock Market of Grief 225

27 Her Heart Is in the Right Place 235

28 Hearing Taylor's Heart 245

29 Trust While Doing 251

30 The Bike Rider Leaves a Message 259

31 First Holidays 263

32 Change of Hearts 273

33 The Teenager's Mother Wants to Reach Out-but Can't 281

34 I Am Outgoing and Friendly 285

Part 5 New Beginnings

35 The Cowboy: The Gift of Giving Back 297

36 The Nurse: The Gift of Time 301

37 The Bike Rider: The Gift of Freedom 305

38 The Teenager: The Gift of a Future 311

39 Outlive Yourself 317

40 The Gift of Hope 321

Acknowledgments 327

About the Authors 331

Editorial Reviews

The Storch family’s dream vacation turns into a nightmare when 13-year-old Taylor Storch dies after hitting a tree while skiing. Her parents write about their feelings of loss and the difficulties of processing their grief differently. While Todd needs to be around people and focuses on establishing a foundation, Taylor’s Gift, to facilitate registration for organ donors, Tara withdraws into a suicidal depression that leaves her unable to function. Her lifeline is a rediscovery of her faith and an amazing support network of family and friends. Ultimately, Todd and Tara find great comfort in meeting the five recipients of Taylor’s donated organs. Their stories are told in third person by cowriter Schuchmann; the viewpoint switching can be disruptive. While the couple’s brave and honest first-person confessions about their grief might particularly benefit those who understand such horrible loss, tedious detail can bog down the message of hope that Taylor’s gift brought not only to her parents but also to the organ recipients, who receive a new lease on life. Agent: Kathryn Helmers, Creative Trust. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly