Cecilia Niemann

Smart and adventurous with a beautiful soul, Cecilia Niemann was a force to be reckoned with.

“She had this warmth about her and this smile that made your heart sing,” said Cecilia’s mother, Debbie Niemann.

Before Cecilia passed away, her parents had agreed to donate her organs and tissues if she was able. When the time came, however, Debbie struggled with the idea that her daughter would again need to have surgery to recover her organs.

“I felt like Cecilia had been through enough procedures in life, and I didn’t feel like she needed to go through it again,” she said.

Cecilia’s father, Josh Niemann, helped remind Debbie that donation was the right decision, and they authorized it on Cecilia’s behalf.

“She was somebody who wanted to profoundly impact other people,” Debbie said.

Cecilia also donated tissues, and Debbie recalls a letter she received from one of Cecilia’s recipients who liked to be active and had ruptured their Achilles tendon.

“They were very grateful to get back on their feet,” she said. “It came at a time when I was struggling missing my daughter, and I thought it was serendipitous that this kid who was in a wheelchair could help somebody be able to walk again.”