Ever since the first grade, 21-year-old DeNae Nash of Waterloo, Iowa, had two passions—basketball and helping kids.
DeNae turned those passions into action. She enrolled at Des Moines Area Community College, where she studied to become an elementary school teacher while playing basketball on the women’s team. She landed a position at a local daycare center to gain experience for her future career in education.
When she wasn’t in the classroom or on the basketball court, DeNae loved spending time with her friends and especially her mother, Jaquel Sherrod.
“DeNae was funny, quick-witted, very honest and always tried to make you feel better with a laugh if you were having a bad day,” Jaquel remembers. “We went shopping, got our hair done and got our nails done. We did everything together.”
Jaquel isn’t the only one who remembers her daughter fondly.
“Her laugh would carry for miles,” says her friend Anika. “Her friendship was filled with unconditional love and understanding without judgment. She was the definition of a safe place.”
Another friend, Bailey, recalls DeNae’s caring nature: “She was a rock in your corner and someone you could count on in your darkest times or even the happiest times. She set out to be a good person and an even better friend.”
DeNae’s friend Taj similarly recalls: “If being witty was a crime, she would get life. She was quick with it too. We talked about any and everything you could think of. I loved the way she loved folks.”
On Nov. 20, 2020, DeNae was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center after an incident in Lake Michigan. The medical staff went to work on her immediately.
“The doctors and nurses in the ICU (intensive care unit) were exceptional,” Jaquel recalls. “They kept us updated every day, answered all of our questions and even let us stay in the room longer with her, which meant so much because this was during the height of covid.”
Despite their best efforts, doctors and nurses were unable to save DeNae’s life.
“It was devastating and heartbreaking,” says Jaquel. “I lost a part of me. She was my best friend. We talked about everything and spent so much time together.”
Like Jaquel, DeNae became an organ donor.
Jaquel met with LaQuita Clayton, a representative from Gift of Hope, to help begin the donation process for DeNae. It was a decision Jaquel has never regretted.
“LaQuita was great,” Jaquel remembers. “She kept me informed and let me know where we were at every step of the way with no pressure. Five years later, we still keep in touch.”
DeNae donated both kidneys and her liver along with sections of skin and tendons. Her donation saved the lives of three people while 34 others were able to receive skin, tendon and ligament grafts.
In the years since DeNae’s passing, Jaquel continues to encourage others to donate.
“It’s the most selfless thing you can do. You can help so many people by donating organs and tissue, like burn victims, cancer patients, all kinds of people. Plus, you can leave a legacy for your loved one.”
And DeNae’s legacy certainly lives on, even beyond the donation. Jaquel has appeared on the “Let’s Talk Hope” podcast, sharing her daughter’s story and advocating for Gift of Hope. She also established the “Purple Hearts – DeNae Nash Foundation,” which benefits schools, basketball camps and programs in Waterloo. Additionally, it helps fund scholarships through the Waterloo Community Foundation, with seniors in community colleges being eligible to apply for $1000 in scholarship money.
