JJ Hayes & Michelle Horne

Matthew Waters and his sister, Brandi, were active, athletic kids who were well loved in their community.

Matthew — the oldest of Scott and Terrisa Waters’ four children — was energetic and had a beautiful smile. Before he became a donor himself at age 16, Matthew received a liver transplant. Although his body accepted the liver, Matthew ultimately passed away, and his transplanted liver was transplanted into yet another recipient.

Years later, tragedy struck the Waters family again when Brandi — a caring teenager who loved to cook — died after complications arose from a surgery she had undergone. She, too, became an organ donor.

Terrisa continues to feel connected to Matthew and Brandi when she sees symbols that remind her of them: butterflies and pennies.

“I constantly find pennies on the ground,” she said. “Sometimes I find dimes and think, ‘I’ve got 10 kisses today.’”

Today, Scott and Terrisa see Brandi and Matthew living on in their community.

“Their legacy will be how we live our lives and remember them,” said Scott. “Brandi and Matthew never gave up; they kept fighting even to the end. They donated their organs and still help people, so we keep going and putting our best foot forward.”