Ezra Hill Jr., known to everyone as EJ, was the kind of kid who filled every room with movement and joy. He loved to dance, wrestle with the DeKalb Wrestling Club and belt out songs at the top of his lungs. EJ had a voice, a rhythm and a heart that naturally pulled people in.
“He never left anybody out,” his mom Andrea said. “If he saw a kid playing alone, he’d be the one to go get them and include them with others.”
In 2019, EJ’s life was taken by an act of gun violence. EJ was rushed to the hospital, and for a brief moment his heart was restarted and there was hope.
Andrea rushed to be by his side and the doctors told her EJ could still hear her. Leaning close, she whispered words no parent ever expects to say: “If you don’t want to come back to this world, just fly high.”
In the midst of unimaginable grief, Andrea made a decision to allow her son to continue his spirit of generosity and inclusiveness. She said yes to organ and tissue donation.
Through that single decision, EJ saved and healed countless lives. His tissues and bone would help up to 75 people. His lungs gave new life to a 10-year-old girl. His heart went to a 13-year-old boy. His kidneys helped a 55-year-old man. EJ’s life didn’t end — it multiplied.
When Andrea learned she could meet EJ’s heart recipient, Andy, she truly appreciated the meaning of “bittersweet.” During the first moments of their face-to-face meeting, words weren’t necessary.
“I didn’t even have to listen to his heartbeat,” Andrea said. “I just hugged him. And I said, ‘Let’s breathe together.’ and I felt EJ.”
Later, she asked to rest her ear against Andy’s chest. No stethoscope. Just a mother listening for her son. And she again felt EJ’s presence.
Today, EJ’s legacy continues far beyond the operating room. Andrea and her husband Brandon honor him through the Ezra Hill Jr. Memorial Foundation, which supports scholarships for new and incoming kids at the DeKalb Wrestling Club, especially those who want to learn more about youth wrestling but are unsure if it’s the sport for them. Just like EJ would have wanted.
Each year, the family also hosts a community rock-painting event during Gun Violence Awareness Weekend. Neighbors and community members gather to paint rocks around a memorial tree donated by the DeKalb Fire Department, providing a living symbol of remembrance, healing and hope.
Andrea is open about once believing common myths about donation herself. Now, she shares her story so others don’t wait until tragedy strikes to decide to register to become an organ and tissue donor.
“Organ and tissue donation is life-saving,” she said. “We shouldn’t wait until someone is on the waiting list or until we lose someone we love to register and choose to give life to others.”
Her advice is simple and heartfelt: say yes. Because through donation, lives continue. Love continues. And EJ, the dancing, singing, big-hearted kid, continues to make an impact on the world.
