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The town of McKenzie is mourning the loss of 13-year-old Kennedy Smith, who tragically passed away on Feb. 21 following an ATV accident. The Smiths made the difficult decision to donate Kennedy’s organs and now, in the midst of their grief, her family and friends are finding solace in knowing that Kennedy’s organ donations saved the lives of four other children and restored sight to a fifth.

“Her heart went to an 11-year-old little boy,” said Kennedy’s mother, Taylor Smith. “But we believe that each of her kidneys went to a child in need, and her liver, you know, was able to be fixed and saved and went to another child.”

“[Before moving to McKenzie] I thought I would hate it here because I am from a very big city,” Taylor recalled. “It was definitely a change of pace, but it was a change of pace that I didn’t know I needed at the time. This has made me love McKenzie so much more because of how everybody’s come together for my little girl.”

Kennedy was at a friend’s house the day of the accident, helping her best friend, Aria Bush, babysit. According to Taylor, the group went outside for a ride, something common in their small community. Kennedy was driving a side-by-side ATV with two younger children as passengers, while Bush rode ahead on a separate four-wheeler. 

When the ATV’s back tire blew, Kennedy lost control of the vehicle.

“It was an accident. It wasn’t like they were flying, being reckless,” Taylor said. “Every kid in a small town rides a dirt road on a side-by-side or four-wheeler, and if you knew Kennedy, you’d know that she’s just not the reckless kind.”

Her passing has left a deep void in the Smith family, especially for her 9-year-old brother, Owen.

“We’re trying to tell him that it’s okay to talk and it’s okay to be upset and it’s okay to have feelings,” Taylor said. “He misses his sister a lot. As much as they would fight, they loved each other very much.”

Longtime family friend Jessie Booker said she watched Kennedy grow up and remembers the teen for her positive outlook and loving nature.

“She was always happy and smiling, even when she was struggling, she didn’t show it,” Booker said. “She did talk to me about a lot of things though. She confided in me and I loved that because I don’t have a daughter, so she was the daughter I never had.”

Months before her death, Kennedy told her “Aunt Jessie” that she had dedicated her life to God and was planning to be baptized.

“She was only 12 then and most kids her age aren’t thinking about that,” Booker said. “They’re not thinking about heaven and God and living that type of life. She was just so excited, and I told her, ‘When we plan this baptism, you better make sure I’m there because I’m going to be front and center.’ It broke my heart that she didn’t get to experience it the way she wanted to, but she did get to get baptized in the hospital.”

Taylor said she finds encouragement in knowing other children have been touched by Kennedy’s death.

“We were also able to donate her corneas. So somewhere out there, there’s a kid with the most beautiful blue eyes. I hope they see the world just like Kennedy did, with beauty and love and hope.”