There was nothing 13-year-old Norah Kilgore Hadley of Charleston, Ill. wasn’t willing to try at least once.
“Nonstop Norah” as she was known by her friends, was a member of the Charleston Middle School band, volunteered in the school’s library, and was involved with “Girls on the Run,” an after-school program for girls in third through fifth grade.
“Norah really wanted to dip her toes into every single pool she possibly could,” recalls her mother, Christy Kilgore. “She loved crafting, wanted to do cheer camp, be in the band, help out at book fairs. She liked to try just about everything.”
Outside of school, Norah enjoyed baking, singing, dancing, traveling, roller coasters, ziplining and horseback riding. She was also dedicated to her family and friends.
“She won a kindness award in elementary school,” Christy says. “She could be silly and had such a kind personality. She would never be mean or malicious for any reason.”
On October 20, 2017, Norah had been asleep in her bed when her mother came in to wake her up to get ready for the day.
“I almost let Norah sleep in,” Christy remembers. “But she liked to walk to school so I had to make sure she got up and got ready.”
Christy noticed something wasn’t right with her daughter.
“Norah was moving in a way that was really unusual,” Christy recalls. “I noticed she kept moving her hand to her mouth. I thought she was trying to suck her thumb in her sleep. When she wouldn’t wake up, I knew something was wrong and called 911.”
Norah was rushed to Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital in nearby Mattoon. Medical staff immediately went to work to determine what happened.
“I initially thought it was a seizure,” Christy says. “You just don’t immediately assume your child is going to die. But then the doctor came in and told me she was as sick as a little girl could possibly be.”
Norah was airlifted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, where she was diagnosed with brain hemorrhaging and swelling caused by an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) rupture.
Doctors performed emergency surgery, but were unable to save her life.
“It was a strange kind of purgatory zone,” Christy recalls. “They kept her body functioning but there was no brain activity. The doctors and nurses were sympathetic and responsive and did everything they possibly could, but there was just too much damage.”
Norah’s family was left devastated. That’s when Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network reached out to let them know they didn’t have to go through this ordeal alone. Christy met with Ruth Keith, a Gift of Hope liaison.
“Ruth was amazing,” Christy says. “She answered all of our questions and was so compassionate, understanding and reassuring throughout the entire process.”
Norah’s heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas and liver helped save the lives of five other people, including a woman from the midwest whose family stays in contact with Christy to this day. The decision to donate was automatic.
“Imagine if you were asked to take a trip to space. Of course you’d say yes,” Christy says. “There was no discussion needed. Knowing how Norah was, it’s what she would have wanted to do.”
Christy is also a donor herself, and encourages others to do the same.
“If you know a loved one can help give somebody else a chance, that makes donation worthwhile,” says Christy. “That butterfly effect Norah has on humanity is something I like to think about when I miss her. She helped make the world a better place for other people and those who love them.”
Norah’s impact and kind nature continue to live on.
“After Norah passed away, I remember going through her things and finding a hand-lettering craft she did that had the phrase ‘just keep going’ on it,” Christy recalls. “Since then, it has become a mantra for our family. I had it tattooed, and we had t-shirts made with it.”
Christy also keeps in touch with those who had been closest to her daughter in school.
“I still keep in contact with Norah’s friends,” Christy says. “It’s a testament to the kind of person she was and the kind of friends she would make.”
Additionally, Charleston Middle School created an award named after Norah, presented each year to students who exhibit exceptional kindness and caring.
