…because of the ultimate act of kindness by a young fan from Steeler Nation!

“When you strip away titles, team colors, etc. we are all the same…human.” — Nefeterius McPherson



From Nefeterius:

I am a HUGE Dallas Cowboys fan. I’ve been one all of my Texas born/Texas bred life. I’m going to the Steelers v. Cowboys game on Sunday but it’s not just any game. It’s a game where my favorite NFL team will play my 12-year-old organ donor’s favorite NFL team. Taitlyn Hughes was a HUGE Steelers fan. Her sister Darian told me that her favorite player was Ben Roethlisberger. Going to the game on Sunday is going to be so special to me. I will pay tribute to the sweet girl who gave me the gift of life when she donated her organs to 4 people, including me, on November 6, 2011. My body loves my new liver and I will always do what I can to help keep Taitlyn’s memory alive.

Here’s a picture of the handmade sign I’m taking with me to the game:




















On Sunday, November 6, 2011, 12-year-old Taitlyn Shae Hughes died of a brain hemorrhage as a result of an AVM rupture. Her death was very unexpected. At age 11, Taitlyn told her parents that if anything were to happen to her, she wanted to donate her organs and save lives. Upon her death, Taitlyn saved four lives. One person received her pancreas, two people received her kidneys and Nefeterius McPherson received her liver.

Before Taitlyn died, her goal was to change the world. Nefeterius has made it her mission to fulfill Taitlyn’s goal of changing the world by educating people about the importance of organ donation and how it saves lives.

There are currently more than 116,000 people on the national organ transplant waiting list. Each day 18 people die while waiting on a lifesaving transplant. Both numbers can be reduced by people registering to become organ donors. In Pennsylvania, people can register to be an organ donor at http://www.donatelife-pa.org/. Organ, tissue and eye donation saves lives and transcends sports rivalries.


Since tweeting the photo of her sign to the website last week, Nefeterius was interviewed by WFAA-TV, a local station in Dallas-Fort Worth.

You can watch & read about her interview here.

You can also “like” her Facebook page here.

And, you can also read about her hero, Taitlyn, on this tribute page to her memory.


*Thank you Nefeterius!