Taylor's Gift: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope

by Tara Storch, Tara Storch, Jennifer Schuchmann (Collaborator)

In March 2010, thirteen-year-old Taylor Storch's life was tragically cut short by a skiing accident. With only a few minutes to consider their options, her grieving family made the life-changing decision to donate her organs. Knowing Taylor's caring spirit, they were sure this was what she would have wanted. Over the course of the next two years, Tara and Todd Storch connected with four of the five people who now live because of Taylor's gift. And through these encounters, the Storches have discovered unexpected blessings that are changing countless lives.

Now Tara and Todd share their inspiring story, shining a light at the end of the tunnel for those enduring the suffering of losing a loved one. Through the stories of the donor recipients, readers will discover hope in the midst of pain. Honest with their struggles, the Storches show readers that life is a gift and our response to grief is a choice. They also speak with a clear voice about the importance and the blessing of being an organ donor, telling the inspiring story of the creation of Taylor's Gift Foundation and its goals to raise awareness of the need for organ donation, to re-gift life, renew health, and restore families. They are changing the conversation around the globe that organ donation is not about death--it's about life! Foreword by Max Lucado.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Christian, Memoir, Inspirational, Grief, Christian Non Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jaguar · Rating 1 out of 5]

The reviews for this book seemed promising. All the Amazon reviews were 4 and 5 stars. Goodreads even had only 4 and 5 star ratings/reviews. No 3 stars. No 2 stars. Not even a 1 star review...until today.

The Story: Once there was a girl named Taylor Storch. She twas only 13 years old when her life was cut short in a skiing accident. By accident, I mean she ran into a tree. Her younger brother Ryan, 11 at the time, feared she was dead as her limbs were in strangely odd positions. She is rushed to the hospital and her parents wait in hopes she will live. Doctor are doing everything they can to save this girls life. Surgery is being preformed and Taylor's parents don't know how much longer they can take it.

Taylor's parents, Todd and Tara Storch, and her younger brother and sister, Ryan (11) and Peyton (9) , all wait at the hospital. (pictures of the family members are included in the book). Finally, the doctor comes in to talk to Taylor's parents. He sits them down, and then explains everything. Taylor Storch, age 13, has a fractured collarbone, a couple of broken rips, a cracked jaw, a compound fracture in several places on her left leg, a pelvic fracture, a fractured clavicle, a couple of teeth missing, and both of her lungs are collapsed. Basically, every stinkin' bone in her body is broken or injured in some way. (but there is no mention of injuries to her arms despite the fact she ran into a tree...)

(page 60) "She has a [volleyball] tournament coming up in a few weeks. It's pretty important to her," Todd said. "Will she be able to play?"

This extremely puzzled me because what parent would ask such a question when their child has just been into an accident? I understand trauma will cloud your judgement and I'm sure that is the case, but I somehow almost felt this deserved a facepalm.

The doctor responds, (page 61) "Under NORMAL circumstances, if I do everything I can, it would take six months to a year, and with rehab, she would be ready to play in eighteen months, but--"
Tara: "Eighteen months? That's too long!"

Well, that's should be the least of your worries because, she also has some head injuries. (Fractured C7 and a swelling brain.) Yeah, she can totally play...again, clouded judgement due to trauma.

Sadly, Taylor dies and her parents are faced with one question, "Are you willing to donate Taylor's organs?". "Yes!" and "It's what Taylor would want." are their responses. Because of Taylor's death, other people can now live. While it's a huge loss for Taylor's parents and siblings, it is exciting for those who get her healthy organs. Now the recovery begins and continues for the remainder of the book (approximately 200+ pages). After Taylor's death, her mother Tara stays in bed 24/7. She does not take her kids to school or talk to them. She does not eat or drink. She does not bathe and she does not move. She simply only has the ability to sit in bed and cries all day, every day, for months. This is Tara's way of dealing with her daughters death. I understand that everyone grieves differently. Some like to work so they can't focus on the pain, others become sort of zombies, and just sit all day and stare motionless. Tara falls under the zombie category. Her friends shower over her as they rub her feet and stroke her hair. They bathe her. They feed her. Tara cries A LOT. I mean, she lost her daughter, but having not been a mom, I couldn't make that connection. Even at one point she considers suicide, but prior to this point her brain and thoughts are jumbled and cloudy.

MONTHS LATER...Tara is finally moving around a bit. Peyton is wanting some attention from her mother, so she asks her to take her to the park. Tara lags along on the sidewalk to the park and it's the first time in months she has been outside. When they get their Tara realizes she didn't bring the bread crumbs. Apparently that was the whole reason they came, so now Peyton is sad and Tara refuses to walk back to get them. Suddenly...

(page 158) "There in the grass, someone had moved a perfect cross, and the cross was littered with bread crumbs. They weren't moved in and they weren't dirty; to my amazement, they had been freshly sprinkled over the grass cross..."

Another "God moment." according to Tara. In the middle of the book is a picture of this 'cross' and underneath the photo it says, "When we forgot bread crumbs on a walk to the park after Taylor died, God did not--even placing them within the sign of a cross."

God moments are cool - believe me, I've seen them - but this particular incident just does not seem like a plausible one.

A FEW MORE MONTHS LATER...(pages 210-211) Tara is looking for an outfit for a foundation dinner. Her order: (page 209) "I want to find a dress. I want a sundress. And I want it to be Tiffany blue," Tiffany blue was the color of Taylor's eyes. Tara searches through multiple stores while Todd drinks coffee at Starbucks. They don't know how much time has elapsed, but Tara returns empty handed.

(page 210) "Maybe you're being too picky?" I [Todd] asked. After all, it was a pretty tall order to find what she was looking for.
"Maybe, but it's what I want."

With forty five minutes left, Tara decides to keep searching. Thirty minutes later, she returns with a bag and a smile on her face.

(page 210) "You'll never guess what happened!" she said excitedly. "As soon as I left here, I walked outside and said, 'Taylor, you know what I'm looking for.' She's the one who always found the best clothes when we went shopping. Well, the very next store I went into had all these dark colors, and then I saw this little piece of Tiffany blue fabric peeking from the rack. I went over and pulled out the hanger---and it was a sundress! And guess what? It was my size!"

Tara excitedly continues on how that it lets even better. She shows Todd the tag for the sundress. Todd looks, expecting to find a price tag, but instead it reads one word. Taylor.

"It's the same font we selected for the website!"

Oh my gosh. Please stop. I get coincidence, but this...after this, I could read no further. Yes, this is a non-fiction story about the loss of ones daughter. Yes, this is the story of their recovery. Yes, many things did not make sense at times. Sometimes logical thinking is just missing.


"Taylor's Gift" would not be a book I would recommend. It seemed like a promising book at first within the first twenty or thirty pages I read, but then it took a turn for the worst, and had a huge downslide from there.

I respect that they are spreading awareness about having people donate their organs. There is nothing wrong with that. There was not a lot I disagreed with - I just found some stuff stupid or annoying. I was going to rate this 2 stars originally, but due to my disagreement with things, I am rating this 1 star.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Description:

Baker Publishing Group|April 1, 2013|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-8007-2241-8

In March 2010, thirteen-year-old Taylor Storch’s life was tragically cut short by a skiing accident. With only a few minutes to consider their options, her grieving family made the life-changing decision to donate her organs. Knowing Taylor’s caring spirit, they were sure this was what she would have wanted. Over the course of the next two years, Tara and Todd Storch connected with four of the five people who now live because of Taylor’s gift. And through these encounters, the Storches have discovered unexpected blessings that are changing countless lives.

Now Tara and Todd share their inspiring story, shining a light at the end of the tunnel for those enduring the suffering of losing a loved one. Through the stories of the donor recipients, readers will discover hope in the midst of pain. Honest with their struggles, the Storches show readers that life is a gift and our response to grief is a choice. They also speak with a clear voice about the important and the blessing of being an organ donor, telling the inspiring story of the creation of Taylor’s Gift Foundation and its goals to raise awareness of the need for organ donation, to re-gift, renew health, and restore families. They are changing the conversation around the globe that organ donation is not about death - it’s about life. Foreword by Max Lucado.

My Review:

Thirteen-year-old Taylor Storch was killed in a snow skiing accident. The really sad part is that it was Taylor’s last run of their very first day on the slopes. As a parent myself, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to suffer the loss of one of your children. Life isn’t supposed to work that way – parents don’t bury their children.

Taylor’s parents, Todd and Tara’s grief was all encompassing and each grieved in different ways. At first, both Todd and Tara were like zombies just moving through each day as best they could. Todd was eventually able to become more productive in his life caring for the couple’s other two children, making funeral arrangements, accepting callers at their door who had come to offer condolences or food and generally trying to keep one foot in front of the other.

Tara, on the other hand, closed herself off from life and took to her bed for a year. She just wasn’t able to function with any sense of normalcy at all, or even take the proper interest in her other two children. Taylor’s death was just too much for her to bear.

There is no right or wrong way to grieve and each person grieves at their own pace and in their own time. What might take six months for one, might take five years for another. Too often we hear people say “Oh, just get over it’s been a whole year.” Don’t ever allow anyone to say that to you when you’re grieving. Grief is a personal and individual thing.

For Todd and Tara grief was difficult until they made the decision to donate Taylor’s organs and then things began to change. They began to understand why they lost their daughter and why God had chosen to call her home at this time. Taylor would have been so proud of the decision that her parents made on her behalf. Luckily for Todd and Tara, they were eventually able to personally meet four out of the five donor-recipients of Taylor’s gifts! In most cases this doesn’t happen but it did for this one very lucky family.

Although it was a hard and sad story to read in parts, I was awed at the strength and fortitude that this family showed in setting up Taylor’s Gift Foundation to encourage other people to sign up for organ donation so that other families can be saved like the five in this story.

If you never do anything else when you finish reading this beautiful story, at least please consider and sign-up for organ donation and make your wishes known to doctor’s, family and friends. Be an advocate for Taylor’s family and help them spread the word about organ donation. If we each told just one person, we’d go a long, long way in keeping many family’s together.

Thank you Todd and Tara for sharing your story with us. I’ll never forget Taylor.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

[Kaylea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books inspire you, others simply take your breath away with the power of the words found inside the pages.


This is one book that does both.


Taylor's Gift: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope retells the story behind the tragic death of Taylor Storch, and her parents efforts to turn a family tragedy into a national conversation about organ donation.

With the help of a co-author, Jennifer Schuchmann, the Storches recount their story - from the skiing accident which led to Taylor's death, to the development of the foundation which bears Taylor's name, to meeting three (and talking to the mom of the fourth) of the five organ recipients.

Along the way, you see how family members and friends reached out to the Storches to help them navigate the sorrow of a daughter dying too soon.

The book is powerful, not only because of the way the family's grief is woven into the narrative, but also because it shows their vulnerability and honesty as they tried to find meaning and purpose after Taylor's death.

Frankly, the book's strength also lies in the way it recounts how the Storches relied on their faith in God to get them through the layers of grief.

Not only does this book introduce readers to the foundation that bears Taylor's name, but it also highlights the impact the organ donation made - by telling the story of four of the five recipients.

The purpose of Taylor's Gift Foundation is to "regift life, renew health, and restore families." Hopefully people will read this book and find their way to www.taylorsgift.org or https://www.facebook.com/TaylorsGift and learn how they can make a difference through organ donation.

This is a strong memoir. I'm glad I picked it up to review. While it was hard to read at times - the grief is intense - it was worth it.

I'll be honest, I was also blown away when I realized that a couple I know - who have walked their own path of grief - appeared in the narrative, playing a huge role in helping the Storches learn how to navigate the loss of Taylor.

In a way, seeing familiar names woven into the story pulled me into the pages in a deeper way.

Ultimately, I give this memoir a solid four and a half out of five. It will challenge you to think about organ donation as a way to "outlive yourself" - and help others.

Please note: i received a review copy of this book - which did not impact the review in anyway.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor's Gift is a raw, heart breaking look at grief in the face of loosing a teenage daughter, and making her life count for more than it could have in life. The journey of her parents and siblings is shown in its entirety, no hiding, no white-washing, just the bare bones of it. Definitely a hard read, well told, but heart breaking. This is not a read for the faint of heart, but one that needs to be read. Not everyone’s journey will be like this, for sure no one will have the exact same experiences, but it deals very aptly with the facts and emotions. What made this even more memorable was that it is actually told from more than one point of view. First of all, both the mother and father tell their stories, both of the grief and then of decisions that needed to be made, the strengths and weaknesses of both parents, and then also of the recipients of the organ donations. I had not read or seen anything of this book before Julie Warkentin of Graf-Martin Communications offered it to me for a review, but I am thrilled to be posting a review on my blog.
Thank you, Julie and Graf-Martin Communications Inc. for supplying this book free to me for the purpose of writing an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions stated are my own.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor Storch’s brief life of just thirteen years ended on the ski slopes of Beaver Creek Mountain in Vail, Colorado on March 15, 2010. That tragic spring break family outing extinguished one life, but launched a charity that has been instrumental in recruiting millions of new organ donors.
Taylor’s Gift is the story of one life leading to the restoration of countless other lives, including her own parents and siblings.

What came as a bit of a surprise to me was how Taylor’s family initially handled her fatal accident. Her father, Todd Storch, once contemplated just running away. Her mother, Tara Storch, once considered ending her own life. For a very long time, she was totally incapacitated, totally consumed by grief. Author Jennifer Schuchmann has constructed a highly detailed, extremely intimate journal of the Storch’s painful struggle to recover from Taylor’s untimely death.

This 332-page biography could serve as a handbook on loss, grief and recovery. It points up the role that family, friends, counselors and faith in God can play when life throws you a curve. Todd and Tara were blessed to have all of those resources and it made all the difference.

[Lindsey Silvestrini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is precious and it is fragile. At any moment it can be taken from us. Taylor’s parents Todd and Tara Storch share their heartbreaking story of loss in Taylor’s Gift when their little girl went home to be with the Lord at just thirteen years of age. I knew this would be tough to read and I did have tears streaming down my face most of the book. But I also felt inspired, encouraged and reminded that God can make something good out of every tragedy.

Todd was able to find purpose in their loss and streamlined his grief into a project that could make something good come out of their loss. Taylorsgift.org is a website in their daughter’s honor where you can sign up for organ donation. I’ll admit, it’s not a subject I’d previously given a lot of thought to. It’s not something anyone wants to think about and so they don’t. No one wants to face their own mortality. But after getting only halfway through this book, I stopped and visited their website and signed up.

This book is different from other stories of grief I’ve read in that it didn’t just share their story. Towards the beginning they dedicate a chapter each to three of the recipients of Taylor’s organs. This made them people with lives of their own to lose and brought the focus to where it should be; what can be gained instead of only what was lost. They followed up with their stories with chapters at the end as well to show the difference that Taylor’s gift had made in their lives.

In the darkest hour of losing a loved one, so many people who are faced with this decision can’t see past their own grief to the lives they could save and the grief they could prevent other families from suffering. It’s a decision we should all make on our own so that loved ones don’t have to make it for us. It’s amazing to me that Todd and Tara had the presence of mind to even be able to make this decision.

I greatly admire the courage it took for Tara, to walk us through her darkest hours. She held nothing back about the grief that she suffered and how she coped, and didn’t cope. As a mother I can’t really wrap my brain around a tragedy like this but I imagine I’d respond much in the same way she did. I have a deep respect for people who are up front about their emotions and put it all on the table. It lets other people know it’s ok to feel the same way. It’s ok to scream and wail with grief and shake your fist at the injustice. But as Tara eventually experienced, there is light and there is love still to be received and to be given.

I can not say enough how deeply this story touched and has affected me. Taylor’s Gift inspired me to sign up to give the gift of life. All I had to do was imagine my child as the one who needed an organ. The fact that it’s so easy and so many of us don’t do it is almost sickening.

Taylor’s gift is a beautiful tribute to their daughter and a testament to their faith. I would really encourage you to visit taylorsgift.org to sign up. If you need further convincing, read Taylor’s Gift for yourself and I promise you will be changed.

[Cami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book on the shelf at Deseret Book but didn't get a chance to pick it up to see what it was about. Then I later saw it at the library and after walking past, had a strong impression that I needed to go back and check it out even though I still had no idea what it was about other than it was nonfiction. I am so glad I did! This is why I read.

Taylor is a 13-year-old girl that died in a tragic skiing accident. This book is written by her parents and tells the story of their grief but also of their hope, as Taylor was able to save lives through organ donation.

The first half of the book has light references to God and soul-searching/faith-finding, and the second half is packed with God's tender mercies--just sign after sign of God's love. As a fellow Christian, I loved reading about their "of course!" moments, as they called them, where they could see heaven reaching down to them. Todd awakened to doing God's will and blessings flowed. Tara also found comfort in Christ.

Much of the book details the drudgery of coping with life after the accident, but it also tells the stories of the recipients of Taylor's organs and how they were given a second chance at life. It is really neat to put those stories together for a more complete picture of God's plan for Taylor.

I was really struck by the raw honesty about the thoughts and feelings Todd (Taylor's dad) describes when he first learned that Taylor was brain dead. It was really, really tough to go inside the mind of Taylor's mom Tara and just be lost in her misery with her. Tara's grief seemed deeper and darker and longer than Todd's, but he was also struggling, just dealing with it differently. Their differences in grieving was interesting to ponder, and their ability to work through it (with a marriage counselor and faith in God) was moving. I cried when Tara described attending her daughter's wake, and I ached for her to find herself again, knowing things would never be the same for her.

I was rather impressed, if not a bit jealous, by the amazing network of support they had through friends, family, and community. What an astonishing outpouring of strength! I hope I can give that kind of support to my neighbors in their suffering.

I found this book heartbreaking and powerfully motivating. I made sure to look up that I am a registered organ donor and talked with my husband about organ donation. I looked up the Taylor's Gift Foundation and am looking into participating in a local 5K to support organ donation.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forewarning: This book is extremely sad. It deals with a major crisis that a parent hopes he or she never has to cope with. If you don't think you can handle a book so sad this story is not for you!

At the age of 13, Taylor took a spring break vacation with her family to ski for the first time. She was a natural and graduated to the higher level slopes quickly. Was this a mistake? With her younger sister and mother waiting in the lobby, her father, younger brother, and Taylor went down the slope one last time. Taylor found out she could not stop. She kept going faster until she got in an accident and bounced around some trees near the slope. You may have heard of Taylor's story as it made the national news. She did not survive and her parents had to go through the difficult decision of whether to donate her organs.

This is not the story of Taylor's life. This is the story of what Taylor provides after her death. Her parents decided to donate her organs. I agree with them. This is the way to go. Help someone else with their life. That is what Todd, Tara, and Taylor did by donating Taylor's organs.

What will get you, or rather, what should get you if you are normal is her parents' recovery after the death of their oldest child, especially the mother. Tara is in such grief she is practically not living. Her day-to-day activities are being cared for by others, including making sure she eats, which she doesn't, and bathing, which she does occasionally.

Todd, Tara's father, deals in a different way. He needs to be active and thus creates the charity Taylor's Gift, which focuses on organ donation. Its sole purpose is to spread the word on signing up to donate organs. As the Storch family connects with recipients of Taylor's organs it helps them recover. Tara feels an extreme connection to the new owner of Taylor's heart.

I am interested in stories like these. I wasn't expecting it to be so sad, but reading about the parents dealing with the grief really pulled the heartstrings. Tara really falls down to the depths. But, that helps make her recovery even better.

I read this story as a review request from netgalley.com using Adobe Digital on my laptop. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.

[Brianna Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book a perfect 5 star review. If I could, I would give it a six. I absolutely loved this book. This book was very inspiring and although I already have made the decision to be an organ donor, Taylor's story made me feel really good about that decision. This book is about a 14 year old girl named Taylor that went on a skiing trip with her family for spring break. On March 14th, Taylor, her father Todd, and her brother Ryan all went skiing on the slopes while her mother Tara and sister Peyton waited for them at the bottom. Something went wrong and Taylor couldn't stop her skis. No matter what method she tried, Taylor just continued to speed up. After all of her attempts to slow down, Taylor continued to make it worse and speed up until she was thrown from the slopes into a forest where she bounced off of one tree and hit another and then fell to the bed of snow. Todd and Ryan ran to her and saw that she was unconscious and her body was laying in an awkward twisted like position. Ryan ran to find help. When help finally came they took Taylor and flew her to a hospital hours away. Ryan and Todd were left the Ski down the rest of the way. When they finally all got to the hospital they were welcomed with bad news. Taylor was in a coma and possibly brain dead, they were going to do a test in the morning to see if there was any brain activity. Morning came, the test was done, and Taylor was pronounced Brain dead. There would be no saving Taylor. Taylor's parents were faced with the question of whether or not they would donate Taylors organs. The answer was obvious that they would. The rest of the book is about how each of Taylor's organs were used to save and give back people's lives. Taylor's parents ended up meeting and have relationships with all 5 recipients. This book takes you through the journey of a mourning family and how, with the help of God, got through this terrible tragedy. This book also tells about how a website and many other memorials were made in Taylor's honor. There is a website called TaylorsGift.org that you can go to to learn more about this story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves non-fictional books and books about encouragement.

[Sunshine Ybarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book for free the Goodreads First Reads*

Edit 2: 23 Apr. 2013
One thing I would like to say- I was kind of confused on who wrote the book. It says Todd and Tara Storch with Jennifer Schuchmann, yet it seems as though Jennifer was the one who wrote it, and she was interviewing Todd and Tara. I think that if the authors were a bit more clearer, no one else would be as confused.
Another thing- On page 22, in the second to last paragraph, the third sentence in, I think there's a grammar error. The sentence reads, "For you to take your lunchtime and spend it with Megan instead of your friends tells me a lot about your character." I think that after "friends" there should be a period, and then the word "It" in front of "tells" to make it a new sentence. So it sounds like: "For you to take your lunchtime and spend it with Megan, instead of your friends. It tells me a lot about your character." It may just be me, but I feel that that version makes it sound a less confusing.

Edit 1: 16 Apr. 2013
I am currently on the second chapter, as I have been extremely busy or I would've most likely been halfway through the book already.
I love the writing style. It's not boring, but well done, and I give it a thumbs up!
It's a very sad story. I told my mom about it, and she said, "I'm glad none of us ski." It's not that skiing is bad, but you just have to be very careful, or you could get in an accident somewhat related to poor Taylor Storch.
Being the impatient one, I carelessly flipped through the book before I read the first chapter, and found the pictures of Taylor with her family before the accident. I think that was a very good touch to the book. It kind of gives us an idea of who she was, and who she could've become before the accident. I LOVE how much the other two children have made it through her death, and how close they became. What I'm anticipated for is if they have continued skiing, or if they're afraid to. Guess I just have to finish reading to find out! So far, I give this book 5 stars. Very inspiring, and it's something that a lot of people have to go through, and it shows that no one is alone when it comes to loved ones dying.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor's Gift is the story of the Storch family and most importantly their teenage daughter, Taylor. During a family trip taken spring break, Taylor passed away in a devastating skiing accident. Her parents were asked if they would like to donate Taylor's organs and their incredible decision has led them to a calling of promoting organ donation, which brought about his heart-wrenching memoir.

As a mother this book was very hard to read. Taylor's mother, Tara, especially was consumed by grief to the point where days would pass without her even realizing it. I think I would be much the same as her. Taylor's father, Todd, while still grief-stricken sprung into action creating a website, a foundation, a memorial garden, and doing interviews all to promote "Taylor's Gift" of organ donation. The Storch's relied on their faith and support of friends and family to get through their darkest hours and were truly inspiring. The beautiful outcome of such a horrific event is that Todd and Tara were actually able to meet some of the amazing people who received Taylor's organs and see how incredibly their lives were changed thanks to her gift.

I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was difficult and very sad to read at times, but the strength of the family and Todd and Taylor's sheer honesty about their grief and darkest hours really keep the reader interested. If you aren't already an organ donor this book will definitely inspire you to register. This book made me proud to say I am already registered as an organ donor. Another thing this book inspires is an amazing belief in God. The Storch's and their "of course" moments were breathtaking. The "of course" moments were basically crazy coincidences that would have to have been orchestrated by a greater power. This book will definitely strengthen your faith in God.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group (Revell) in exchange for an honest review.

[Pathway Midland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor's Gift is an incredible story of "outliving yourself" and paying it forward. Taylor Storch was killed in a skiing accident and her parents were faced with the decision of donating her organs. They knew that Taylor loved helping people and donating her organs would be what Taylor would want to do. Taylor's Gift is about the gift of live through organ donation, and also tells the story of four of Taylor's recipients. Through the lives of Todd and Tara Storch, Taylor's parents, the reader learns how to use grief to draw us closer to God and how to rely on His strength through our struggles. It is clear that God has handpicked our battles for us and nothing happens by chance. It is incredible to see how God works in the lives of the Storch family and how they used this tragedy to help others. Todd Storch and his team created an organization in Taylor's memory called Taylor's Gift- you can check out their website TaylorsGift.org if you want to learn more about what they do. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a dying family member or someone who has just lost a loved one. However, the book is a great read for almost anyone. Taylor's Gift will tug at your heart and by the end of the book you will wish you knew Taylor when she was alive. She seems like an incredible girl,and I think that her family is doing an amazing job of making the best out of their situation.

[Gail Welborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

***reminds how fragile and precious life is...requires tissues to read***

Taylor’s Gift, by Todd and Tara Storch with Jennifer Schuchmann, is an emotional account of one family’s tragic loss—their journey of grief and how they found comfort and renewed hope when their thirteen-year-old daughter’s life was tragically cut short. It’s also an inspirational tale of organ donation which gave the gift of life to a cowboy, a nurse, a bike rider and a teenager whose lives were forever touched.

Their story begins as Todd prepares to video his children’s final run down a Vail, Colorado, ski slope. Todd thought he was “…experiencing the trip of a lifetime.” He could hardly wait to share the videos and pictures with his wife, Tara, and nine-year-old Peyton, who were having cocoa in the alpine village below.

Todd grabbed his poles and followed eleven-year-old Ryan and Taylor down the slope. With his flip camera in hand, he captured Ryan and Taylor’s fluid movements through the snow. When he saw Ryan pull off so Taylor could catch up, she shot past him, gaining momentum as she flew by. Todd could only watch helplessly as his precious daughter hit a pine tree head-on, and then propelled into a second tree.

Writer Jennifer Schuchmann captures their tragic loss and insurmountable pain…

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor Storch, a tall, athletic 13-year-old with stunning eyes, a well-developed sense of fun and a big heart, died on March 15, 2010, from injuries suffered the day before in a downhill skiing accident.
"Taylor's Gift" is Todd and Tara Storch's account of their decision to donate their daughter's organs, and of how they were able to meet four of the five recipients of those organs and see how their lives were changed. (They bonded especially closely with the woman who received Taylor's heart.)
It also tells about how they established the Taylor's Gift Foundation (Taylor'sGift.org) to encourage organ donations.
It's a painful book to read, because the Storches hold nothing back in describing the grief they -- and particularly Tara -- went through. In addition to emphasizing the importance of organ donation, it may be a helpful book for other grieving parents to read -- to realize that 1) if their grief is debilitating, that's not abnormal; and 2) it will never go away, but it will get better.
A strong faith -- both before and after Taylor died, and clearly shared by Taylor herself -- certainly helped in the case of the Storches.
Near the end of the book, Tara Storch writes: "Todd and I know that each day only brings us closer to the day our stories will once again merge with hers -- we have the same Author of Life."

[Sharon Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Losing a child in a tragic accident must be one of the most heartbreaking and harrowing experiences a parent can go through. In "Taylor's Gift," Tara and Todd Storch share their story of losing their beautiful daughter, Taylor, in a skiing accident and how they went about making the difficult decision to donate her organs so that others might have the gift of life.

Documenting their journey, the Storch's also intermix the stories of the five people who benefited from the gift of Taylor's heart, kidneys, corneas, liver and pancreas. These stories, as well as the story of Taylor's life, are so powerful and emotional - it is hard to imagine the suffering, and the resulting joy that was achieved through his situation.

I feel that this is an incredibly important book for it's support and encouragement of organ donation. The Storches have a wonderful website dedicated to this cause at www.taylorsgift.org - you can find information on organ donation there, and more about the foundation Taylor's parents have created to memorialize their daughter.

This is a wonderfully written tribute, and I highly encourage everyone to check it out!

[Abby Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor's gift was an amazing book about a young girl who's life got taken away too fast. She was skiing and she lost control. She ran into a forest and hit a tree at full speed. She was still breathing, though. She was rushed to the hospital and then that's when she was put on life support. Nobody knew if she was coming back or not. She eventually never did and had to be taken off of life support. Her parents were devastated and heartbroken. Their child had just died from a silly mistake. Then, an important question was asked. Would they like to donate Taylor's organs? They were disgusted by the thought of them having to decide what to do with their dead daughter's body. They were supposed to die before her; she wasn't supposed to die before them. After a while of thinking, they decided to do the right thing and donate Taylor's organs. They knew it would change some families' lives. Her donation later inspired others to donate their organs and it eventually turned into an organization called Taylor's Gift. It has inspired thousands of people donate their lorgans and has helped even more!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant and moving memoir from a family coming to terms with the sudden loss of their 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, and how they found a way to a "new normal". The memoir is told from both parents' points of view. They decided to donate their daughter's organs, and found comfort after meeting four of the five recipients (whose stories are also told in this memoir). Taylor's parents also founded the Taylor's Gift Foundation to educate the public about organ donation and to encourage more people to sign up to be donors.

I became interested in Taylor's story two years ago after randomly discovering an interview her parents did about the Taylor's Gift Foundation on a local news site. From there, I found Taylor's YouTube channel, where she had made tons of videos with her friends and family members. I just happened to visit the Foundation's website yesterday and saw that her parents had written a book. Immediately bought it for my Kindle and finished it in a day. It's a hard book to read, and sad, but ends on a note of hope and inspiration.

[Kathleen Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even begin to imagine the number of tears that went into this book -- and how many are soon to flow as more people read and review. There is absolutely no way to rate this book as anything under five stars. I felt every emotion along the way with Todd and Tara!

My interest is now peaked in organ donation, though I've always had an interest. On my 10th birthday, a driver ran a red light, causing an accident involving a girl I considered to be like a sister. She was considered brain dead and her family made the decision to have her organs donated. She was just the sweetest girl. Maybe a year later, I found a webpage created by a woman who received her heart. I love the fact that her heart beats on more than a decade after she left this earth.

My advice is to read this book. Make sure you keep a box of tissues nearby, too.

[Chickadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caused me to have so many emotions while reading it.


My heart ached for this family and I almost couldn't read the first part, which vividly details how Taylor died and what it was like in the hospital. But then, the inspirational part of this story grabbed my attention and I had to find out how many lives were changed, by Taylor's gift of life. This book is the perfect example of why organ donation is so vital.

I would hope that after reading this, everyone would make sure they are on the donor registry list. I appreciate the raw emotion that the Storch family shares in this book - this is one story that will stay with me for a very long time. I found myself thinking about all of the confirmation and "signs" that God gave them during their time of grief and it encouraged my faith.

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at Elmbrook Church library as I was scanning through my favorite biography section. I just pick up which ever cover looked interesting, scan it to see the rating and most likely bring it home with me. My original plan was to come home with a couple of missionary stories so this was a bit of a wild card and I definitely not expecting it to hit home as much as it did.
It starts off very strong. I was captured by the Storch's story and loved the concept of getting both sides of the story of an organ donation. Midway through it starts to get repetitive for reasons I don't want to spoil. And I also wish there was more from the 4 families that received Taylor's gift. But the ending is solid and I'm really glad, overall, I had the chance to read this gem. I definitely recommend reading it!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Storches to bravely share their story, baring their grief in the pages of Taylor's Gift, is another gift to add to the list of those that came from their unimaginable loss.

I have never experienced anything like this, but feel in some ways that reading this book has given me new empathy for the grieving. More than that, the story of how the Storches turned their grief into a powerful platform to change and save lives is inspiring.

I enjoy biographies generally, and while I might rather set aside a sad story, I couldn't stop turning the pages of this book. Taylor's Gift is drenched in God's faithfulness, and a beautiful testimony of faith.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've known for a long time that organ donation is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Taylor's Gift brings the nameless faces of organ donation to life, though. The reality is that while one family rejoices, another family grieves. I cried a lot while reading this book, not just because moments in it are unbearably sad, but also because moments are so incredibly joyful. The biggest message is that God works in and through all things, and that even the most broken of hearts can slowly begin to heal. Beautiful book, beautiful lives.

(A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! Being a heart transplant recipient, I am so thankful for donor families. This family suffered an terrible loss when their 13 year old daughter died after a skiing accident. They were very proactive and started a group to help educate people about and encourage organ donation. The book is wonderful by itself, but I know the heart recipient through online transplant groups and because she is a friend of friends. I cannot express what it means to get an organ that saved my life and be so fortunate to get a second chance to "smell the roses". This is a book I would highly recommend to readers from teen aged on up.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story basically follows a family for a year following the unexpected death of their daughter, Taylor, in a skiing accident. When asked to consider donating Taylor's organs they consent stating, "That's what Taylor would want." The story widens to offer 'before and after' glimpses of the lives of the recipients of Taylor's gift.

I expected tear-jerking sentimentality. It was that but it was also much more. The voice alternates between Todd, Taylor's father, and Tara, her mother. They share with gut-wrenching honesty as they process their grief. In the process the begin a charitable foundation to encourage organ donation.

[Leigh Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started and finished this book in 24 hours! That never happens any more. It is an excellent read about a families grief when they lose a pre-teen daughter in a skiing accident and having to make the quick decision of organ donation and how that has changed their lives. Books rarely make me cry and I was bawling with this one! This is a very honest look at one family's grief and at times is hard to read, but is also amazing to see the hope they have and the productive things they do with their grief. You also get a glimpse into the lives of the people who received the organ donations and that's a rare treat. Grab a box of tissue and enjoy!

[Joan Arning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor's Gift is the courageous story of how a family handled the death of their 13 year old daughter. It is very sad to read of the death of Taylor's death but inspiring to learn how her parents donated her organs to give life to five other people. Taylor's parents go through a period of deeply grieving, each in their own way, but grow closer to God and each other when this period is over. Todd and Tara now work to increase organ donations to regift life. This true story is amazing. I checked to make sure my donor registration is up to date! I recommend this book to anyone although you may shed a few tears in reading it.

[Sheri S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor's Gift is an incredible story of loss of life along with giving life through organ donation. Taylor's parents, Todd and Tara, tell the story of Taylor's thirteen years of life and how her life continues on through the lives of five donor recipients. Todd and Tara share the tremendous grief they experienced after having lost their daughter as well as how they were able to work through their grief through establishing the Taylor's Gift Foundation. The book prompts feelings of deep sadness for the family as well as great joy as the family comes together in meaningful ways. This is truly a great book!

[Virginia Brunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. While it would seem to be a sad story about a young girl's death -- it's not. It's about her life and the choices her parents make to donate her organs. It's also about how they grieve and that its okay for them to grieve differently. It's also about connecting with those recipient families. The Storchs are able to talk about how God has led them on their grief journey and He continues to show that He is with them throughout it. What a moving story of a family turning their future over to God and trusting that He will direct them for His glory.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my husband asked what my new book was about and I told him, he said, "I thought you said you weren't going to read books like that anymore." I tried to explain that this tragic story had hopeful endings - showing how life continues through organ donation.

Yes, Taylor's Gift is largely about two parents' different paths through the grieving process after losing their 13-year old daughter, but it also tells the stories of the organ donor recipients. This is a story of faith in God's plan, that "what is impossible with men is possible with God."

[Al-lison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read. It reminds us of why we need to donate our organs. Always make sure you have registered online: http://www.ontario.ca/health-and-well.... It takes such a short time but this short time can ultimately save lives. I registered online several years ago and now have a peace of mind knowing that should anything happen to me, my organs can hopefully bring a gift to others!