A family in the Mid-South will be honoring their deceased son today for his contribution to saving lives through organ donation. The late son has made a valuable contribution to society, and his family is proud to commemorate his selfless act.
On Monday, August 5th at noon, the Memphis DMV located at 5266 Summer Ave. Suite 75, will host a celebration to reveal the Gift of Life Poster in honor of Tyler Spann.
At the young age of 15, Tyler sadly lost his life to drowning.
Tyler’s parents went beyond just promoting water safety on Sunday, as they also shared their son’s commendable legacy of organ donation. Tyler himself had made the selfless decision to donate his organs, and as a result, his actions have already saved the lives of 75 people.
Action News 5 sat down with his parents, who shared why they are advocating for more people of color to donate what they call “gifts.”
According to Tyler’s mother, Angela Spann, her son has always been incredibly unique and remarkable.
Tyler’s passing occurred six years ago.
While on a family vacation at Panama City Beach, a tragic accident occurred.
Angela shared that within 48 hours of their decision, her loved one was caught in a rip tide and unfortunately drowned. However, they remained steadfast in their decision to donate his organs and were contacted shortly after his passing. “Less than 48 hours later he was later, he was caught in a rip tide and he drowned. At that moment we decided that he should be a donor; we were contacted just minutes after he passed away,” Angela recounted.
According to Angela, her son, who is a star athlete and in excellent physical condition, has the ability to save lives.
Angela emphasized the significance of helping others and how it can be achieved with minimal costs.
Tyler has been using his “gifts” to positively impact the lives of many since 2018, with a total of 75 people saved or improved as a result.
According to his parents, the funeral of their son was attended by thousands of people, and there are still some days that are difficult for them to cope with.
Tyler’s father, Kimmy Spann, expressed that while it’s difficult to come to terms with never knowing certain things, he finds solace in the positive impact Tyler has had since his passing. “When I think about how much good he’s done, how many people he’s helped, and how many programs we’ve helped start to help others, it makes me feel good,” he said.
According to Tyler’s father, the idea of organ donation wasn’t something that crossed his mind until he required a ligament following an accident.
Kimmy expressed that in the case of requiring surgery and needing a tendon, it is imperative to obtain it from somewhere, even if it is just a small tendon or ligament. She believes that such small contributions can make a significant difference in someone’s life. Tyler’s willingness to help people, whether in major or minor ways, brings joy to her heart.
Minority Donor Awareness Month is celebrated in August every year. Tyler made history as the first African American to represent the month.
The Spann family is currently focused on promoting awareness about organ donation and encouraging more individuals from communities of color to register as donors.
According to Angela, minorities, including African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics, make up 80% of those waiting for organ, eye, or tissue donations. Despite this, they only account for 40% of registered donors. Angela believes that there is room for improvement in increasing the number of registered donors from minority communities.
The Shelby County DMV office off of Summer Avenue will display Tyler’s poster.
Angela believes that Tyler’s passing was not meant to hurt them, but rather, it was God’s way of taking Tyler to be with him. She wants to share their story with others to give them hope and let them know that even after their child has passed on, they can still help people.
