On Tuesday, August 11th, my brother and sister in law Jesse & Britnee said goodbye to their beautiful three-month-old daughter, Aurora Fortenberry.

Aurora was a miracle from the very beginning. Jesse and Britnee struggled to conceive for the first fourteen years of their marriage. They never gave up hope, and through IVF, that hope was finally answered. In May of this year, Aurora was born, and she meant everything to them. Anyone who saw Jesse and Britnee with their daughter saw two people who had waited fourteen years for this joy and treasured every single moment of it.

Just over 2 weeks before the accident, Aurora was blessed in church, surrounded by family and friends who traveled from all over to celebrate her. None of us could have imagined it would be one of our last gatherings with her.

On August 4th Aurora was critically injured in a car accident and spent a week on life support at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite while her parents stayed by her side, praying for a miracle. When it became clear she would not recover, Jesse and Britnee made the selfless, unimaginably difficult decision to donate her organs. The hospital staff lined the halls for an honor walk as Aurora made her final journey through the hospital, honoring a little girl whose three months of life would go on to save the lives of several other babies.

Then Jesse and Britnee were left alone in the room to say goodbye to their baby girl one last time. Britnee could not let her go. No parent should ever have to.

There is nothing any of us can do to bring Aurora back. But we can wrap our arms around Jesse and Britnee and make the road ahead a little less heavy. Funds raised will go directly to:

Hospital bills not covered by insurance

Aurora's funeral expenses

Giving Jesse and Britnee time away from work to grieve and begin to heal

If you are not able to give, please share this campaign and keep this family in your prayers. Every dollar, every share, and every prayer is felt.

Aurora lived for only three months, but in that short time she was loved more deeply than most people are loved in a lifetime. Through her gift, other children will grow up because of her. That is her legacy.

Thank you for loving this family with us.

With love and gratitude,

Paul Johnson, Aurora's uncle